*B    EbM 


MAHATVPS 
CHRISTIAN 
PERFECTION 


CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 


SCRIPTURE  DOCTRINE 

OP 

CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION; 

WITH  OTHER  KINDRED  SUBJECTS, 

ILLUSTRATED  AND  CONFIRMED 


•   »  » 

A  SERIES  OF  DISCOURSES 

DESIGNED    TO 
THROW  LIGHT  ON  THE   WAY   OF   HOLINESS. 


BY   REV.  ASA   MAHAN, 


«  Now  the  just  shall  live  by  faith."— HKB.  x.  38. 


BOSTON: 

PUBLISHED     BY     D.     S.     KING, 

32  Washington  Street. 

1839. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1839,  by 
D.  S.  KING,  in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of 
Massachusetts. 


DATID    H.  ELA,  PRINTER, 

19  Washington  Street. 


TO  THE  HONEST  INQUIRER  AFTER  HOLINESS, 

This  work  is  respectfully  dedicated,  with  fervent 
prayer  to  the  blessed  Trinity,  that  its  perusal 
may  be  to  the  Reader  a  source  of  as  great 
comfort  and  profit,  as  its  preparation  has  been 
to  the  Author. 


Vte 


CONTENTS. 


CHRISTIAN   PERFECTION. 

DISCOURSE  f. 
Ifs  Nature, 9 

DISCOURSE  II. 
Attainable, 25 

DISCOURSE  III. 
The  Objections  Answered, 63 

DISCOURSE  IV. 
The  New  Covenant, 95 

DISCOURSE  V. 
Full  Redemption, 131 

DISCOURSE  VI. 
Special  Redemption, 153 

DISCOURSE  VII. 
The  Promises, 179 

DISCOURSE  VIII. 
The  Divine  Teacher, 201 


CHRISTIAN   PERFECTION. 


DISCOURSE  I. 


THE  NATURE  OF  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

"  Be  ye  therefore  perfect,  even  as  your  Father  in  heaven  is 
perfect." — Mat.  v.  48. 

Two  important  features  of  this  passage  demand 
our  special  attention.  1.  The  command,  "Be 
perfect."  2.  The  nature  and  extent  of  the  com- 
mand ;  "  even  as  your  Father  in  heaven  is  per- 
fect." In  other  words,  we  are  here  required  to  be 
as  perfect,  as  holy,  as  free  from  all  sin,  in  our 
sphere  as  creatures,  as  God  is  in  his  as  our  Creator 
and  our  Sovereign. 

My  design  in  the  present  discourse  is  to  answer 
this  one  question  ;  What  is  perfection  in  holiness  ? 
In  answering  this  inquiry,  I  would  remark,  that 
perfection  in  holiness  implies  a  full  and  perfect  dis- 


10  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

charge  of  our  entire  duty,  of  all  existing  obliga- 
tions in  respect  to  God  and  all  other  beings.  It  is 
perfect  obedience  to  the  moral  law.  It  is  "  loving 
the  Lord  our  God  with  all  our  heart,  and  with  all 
our  soul,  and  with  all  our  strength,  and  our  neigh- 
bor as  ourselves."  It  implies  the  entire  absence 
of  all  selfishness,  and  the  perpetual  presence  and 
all  pervading  influence  of  pure  and  perfect  love. 
"  Love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law." 

In  the  Christian,  perfection  in  holiness  implies 
the  consecration  of  his  whole  being  to  Christ — the 
subjection  of  all  his  powers  and  susceptibilities  to 
the  control  of  one  principle, — "  faith  on  the  Son  of 
God."  This  is  what  the  moral  law  demands  of 
him  in  his  circumstances. '  Were  the  Christian  in 
that  state  in  which  he  should  "  eat,  and  drink,  and 
do  all  that  he  does  for  the  glory  of  God,"  in  which 
his  eye  should  be  perfectly  single  to  this  one  ob- 
ject ;  or  in  which  the  action  of  all  hispowers  should 
be  controlled  by  faith,  which  works  by  love,  he 
would  then,  I  suppose,  have  attained  to  a  state 
of  entire  sanctification — his  character  would  be 
"perfect  and  entire,  wanting  nothing."  Every 
duty  to  every  being  in  existence  would  be  dis- 
charged. 

It  will  readily  be  perceived,  that  perfect  holiness, 
as  above  described,  does  not  imply  perfect  wisdom, 
the  exclusive  attribute  of  God.  The  Scriptures, 


ITS    NATURE.  11 

speaking  of  the  human  nature  of  Christ,  affirm, 
that  he  "increased  in  wisdom."  This  surely  does 
not  imply  that  his  holiness  was  less  perfect  at  one 
time  than  at  another.  So  of  the  Christian.  His 
holiness  may  be  perfect  in  kind,  but  finite  in 
degree,  and  in  this  sense  imperfect ;  because  his 
wisdom  and  knowledge  are  limited,  and  in  this 
sense  imperfect. 

Holiness,  in  a  creature,  may  also  be  perfect,  and 
yet  progressive — progressive,  not  in  its  nature,  but 
in  degree.  To  be  perfect,  it  must  be  progressive 
in  the  sense  last  mentioned,  if  the  powers  of  the 
subject  are  progressive.  He  is  perfect  in  holiness, 
whose  love  at  each  successive  moment  corresponds 
with  the  extent  of  his  powers.  "  If  there  be  first 
a  willing  mind,  it  is  accepted  according  to  that 
a  man  hath,  and  not  according  to  that  he  hath 
not." 

Hence  I  remark,  that  perfection  in  holiness  does 
not  imply,  that  we  now  love  God  with  all  the 
strength  and  intensity  with  which  redeemed  spirits 
in  heaven  love  him.  The  depth  and  intensity  of 
our  love  depend  under  all  circumstances  upon  the 
vigor  and  reach  of  our  powers,  and  the  extent  and 
distinctness  of  our  vision  of  divine  truth.  "  Here 
we  see  through  a  glass  darkly ;  there  face  to  face." 
Here  our  powers  are  comparatively  weak.  There 
they  will  be  endowed  with  an  immortal  and  tire- 


12  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

less  vigor.  In  each  and  every  sphere,  perfection 
in  holiness  implies  a  strength  and  intensity  of  love 
corresponding  with  the  reach  of  our  powers  and 
the  extent  and  distinctness  of  our  vision  of  truth  in 
that  particular  sphere.  The  child  is  perfect  in 
holiness  who  perpetually  exercises  a  filial  and  af- 
fectionate obedience  to  all  the  divine  requisitions, 
and  loves  God  with  all  the  powers  which  it  pos- 
sesses as  a  child.  The  man  is  perfect  in  holiness 
who  exercises  the  same  supreme  and  affectionate 
obedience  to  all  that  God  requires,  and  loves  him 
to  the  full  extent  of  his  knowledge  and  strength  as 
a  man.  The  saint  on  earth  is  perfect,  when  he 
loves  with  all  the  strength  and  intensity  rendered 
practicable  by  the  extent  of  his  knowledge  and 
reach  of  his  powers  in  his  present  sphere.  The 
saint  in  heaven,  will  be  favored  with  a  seraph's 
vision,  and  a  seraph's  power.  To  be  perfect  there, 
he  must  love  and  adore  with  a  seraph's  vigor,  and 
bum  with  a  seraph's  fire. 

To  present  this  subject  in  a  somewhat  more  dis- 
tinct and  expanded  form,  the  attention  of  the  rea- 
der is  now  invited  to  a  few  remarks  upon  1  Thes. 
v.  23.  "And  the  very  God  of  peace  sanctify  you 
wholly :  and  I  pray  God  your  whole  spirit  and 
soul  and  body  be  preserved  blameless  unto  the 
coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  The  prayer 
of  the  apostles  for  Christians  here  is,  in  the  Ian- 


ITS    NATURE. 


guage  of  Dr.  Scott,  that  the  "  very  God  of 
peace,"  "  would  sanctify  them  wholly,  and  in  re- 
spect to  their  entire  nature,  as  consisting  of  a 
rational  and  immortal  soul,  an  animal  life,  with 
its  various  sensitive  appetites,  and  a  material  body  ; 
that  every  sense,  member,  organ,  and  faculty, 
might  be  completely  purified,  and  devoted  to  the 
service  of  God  ;  and  that  thus  they  might  be  pre- 
served blameless  till  the  coming  of  Christ."  In 
short,  the  prayer  of  the  apostle  is,  that  all  the 
powers  and  susceptibilities  of  our  being  may  not 
only  be  purified  from  all  that  is  unholy,  but  wholly 
sanctified  and  devoted  to  Christ,  and  forever  pre- 
served in  that  state.  Now  the  powers  and  suscep- 
tibilities of  our  nature  are  all  comprehended  in  the 
following  enumeration  :  the  will,  the  intellect,  and 
our  mental  and  physical  susceptibilities  and  pro- 
pensities. The  question  to  which  the  special  at- 
tention of  the  reader  is  invited  is  this.  When  are 
we  in  a  perfectly  sanctified  and  blameless  state,  in 
respect  to  the  action  of  all  these  powers  and  sus- 
ceptibilities ? 

1.  That  we  be  in  a  perfectly  sanctified  and 
blameless  state  in  regard  to  our  wills,  implies,  that 
the  action  of  all  our  voluntary  powers  be  in  entire 
conformity  to  the  will  of  God,  that  every  choice, 
every  preference,  and  every  volition,  be  controlled 
by  a  filial  regard  to  the  divine  requisitions.  The 


14  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

perpetual  language  of  the  heart  must  be,  "  Lord, 
what  wilt  thou  have  me  do  ?" 

2.  That  we  "be  preserved  blameless"  in  re- 
gard to  our  intellect,  does  not  imply  that  we  never 
think  of  what  is  evil.     If  this  were  so,  Christ  was 
not  blameless,  because  he  thought  of  the  tempt- 
ations of  satan.      Nor  could  the  Christian  repel 
what  is  evil  as  he  is  required  to  do.     To  repel 
evil,  the  evil  itself  must  be  before  the  mind  as  an 
object  of  thought. 

To  be  blameless  in  respect  to  the  action  of  our 
intellectual  powers,  does  imply,  1.  That  every 
thought  of  evil  be  instantly  suppressed  and  re- 
pelled. 2.  That  they  be  constantly  employed  on 
the  inquiry,  what  is  the  truth  and  will  of  God, 
and  by  what  means  we  may  best  meet  the  de- 
mands of  the  great  law  of  love.  3.  That  they  be 
employed  in  the  perpetual  contemplation  of  "  what- 
soever things  are  true,  whatsoever  things  are  honest, 
whatsoever  things  are  just,  whatsoever  things  are 
pure,  whatsoever  things  are  lovely,  whatsoever 
things  are  of  good  report ;  if  there  be  any  virtue,  and 
if  there  be  any  praise,"  in  thinking  of  these  things 
also.  When  the  intellectual  powers  are  thus  em- 
ployed, they  are  certainly  in  a  blameless  state. 

3.  That  our  feelings  and  mental  susceptibilities 
be  preserved  blameless,  does  not  imply,  that  they 
are  at  all  times  and  circumstances  in  the  same  in- 
tensity of  excitement,  or  in  the  same  identical  state. 


ITS    NATURE.  15 

This  the  powers  and  laws  of  our  being  forbid. 
Nor  in  that  case,  could  we  obey  the  command, 
"Rejoice  with  those  that  do  rejoice,  and  weep  with 
those  that  weep."  Nor  does  it  imply  that  no  feel- 
ings can  exist  in  the  mind  which  under  the  cir- 
cumstances then  present,  it  would  be  improper  to 
indulge.  A  Christian,  for  example,  may  feel  a 
very  strong  desire  to  speak  for  Christ  under 
circumstances  when  it  would  be  improper  for 
him  to  speak.  The  feeling  itself  is  proper.  But 
we  must  be  guided  by  wisdom  from  above  in  re- 
spect to  the  question,  when  and  where  we  are  to 
give  utterance  to  our  feelings. 

That  our  feelings  and  mental  susceptibilities  be 
in  a  blameless  state,  does  imply,  1.  That  they  all 
be  held  in  perfect  and  perpetual  subjection  to  the 
will  of  God.  2.  That  they  be  in  perfect  and 
perpetual  harmony  with  the  truth  and  will  of  God 
as  apprehended  by  the  intellect,  and  thus  consti- 
tuting a  spotless  mirror,  through  which  there  shall 
be  a  perfect  reflection  of  whatsoever  things  are 
"true,"  " honest,"  "just,"  "pure,"  "lovely," 
and  of  "  good  report." 

4.  That  our  "  bodies  be  preserved  blameless," 
does  not,  of  course,  imply  that  they  are  free  from 
fatigue,  disease  or  death.  Nor  does  it  imply  that 
no  desire  be  excited  through  our  physical  propen- 
sities, which  under  existing  circumstances  it  would 


16  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

be  unlawful  to  indulge.  The  feeling  of  hunger  in 
Christ,  under  circumstances  in  which  indulgence 
was  not  proper,  was  not  sinful.  The  consent  of 
the  will  to  gratify  the  feeling,  and  not  the  feeling 
i  tself,  renders  us  sinners. 

That  we  be  preserved  in  a  sanctified  and  blame- 
less state  in  respect  to  our  bodies,  does  imply — 
1.  That  we  endeavor  to  acquaint  ourselves  with 
all  the  laws  of  our  physical  constitution.  2.  That 
in  regard  to  food,  drink,  and  dress,  and  in  regard  to 
the  indulgence  all  our  appetites  and  physical  pro- 
pensities, there  be  a  sacred  and  undeviating  con- 
formity to  these  laws.  3.  That  every  unlawful 
desire  be  instantly  suppressed,  and  that  all  our  pro- 
pensities be  held  in  perfect  subjection  to  the  will  of 
God.  4.  That  our  bodies  with  all  our  physical 
powers  and  propensities  be  "  presented  to  God  as 
a  living  sacrifice,  holy  and  acceptable/'  to  be  em- 
ployed in  his  service. 

Such  is  Christian  Perfection.  It  is  the  conse- 
cration of  our  whole  being  to  Christ,  and  the  per- 
petual employment  of  all  our  powers  in  his  service. 
It  is  the  perfect  assimulation  of  our  entire  charac- 
ter to  that  of  Christ,  having  at  all  times,  and  under 
all  circumstances,  the  "  same  mind  that  was  also 
in  Christ  Jesus."  It  is,  in  the  language  of  Mr. 
Wesley,  "In  one  view,  purity  of  intention,  dedi- 
cating all  the  life  to  God.  It  is  the  giving  God  all 


ITS    NATURE.  17 

the  heart ;  it  is  one  desire  and  design  ruling  all  our 
tempers.  It  is  devoting  not  a  part,  but  all  our 
soul,  body  and  substance  to  God.  In  another 
view,  it  is  all  the  mind  that  was  in  Christ  Jesus, 
enabling  us  to  walk  as  he  walked.  It  is  the  cir- 
cumcision of  the  heart  from  all  filthiness,  from  all 
inward  as  well  as  outward  pollution.  It  is  the 
renewal  of  the  heart  in  the  whole  image  of  God, 
the  full  likeness  of  him  that  created  it.  In  yet 
another,  it  is  loving  God  with  all  our  heart,  and 
our  neighbor  as  ourselves." 


REMARKS. 


I.  We  will  in  the  first  place  notice  some  of  the 
features  of  the  subject  now  under  consideration, 
in  respect  to  which  all  evangelical  Christians  are 
agreed. 

1.  All,  I  have  no  doubt,  will  admit  that  the 
nature  of  Christian  perfection  has  been  correctly 
stated  in  the  preceding  remarks  ;  that  were  any  in- 
dividual actually  in  the  state  there  described,  his 
moral  and  Christian  character  would  be  "  perfect 
and  entire,  wanting  nothing." 

2.  All  agree  that  this  entire  perfection  in  ho- 
liness, is  definitely  and  positively  required  of  us  in 
the  Bible,  and  that,  for  not  rendering  such  obe- 
dience to  God,  we  are  wholly  without  excuse. 


18  CHRISTIAN   PERFECTION. 

3.  All  agree  that  the  fact,  that  one  is  not  thus 
perfect,  should  be  to  him  a  subject  of  deep  repent- 
ance and  humiliation,  and  of  unfeigned  sorrow  and 
contrition   of  heart.     It   is  certainly  no   pleasing 
feature  of  Christian  charactefr,  that  we  are  living  in 
partial  disobedience  to  the  reasonable  requirements 
of  our  God  and  Saviour ;  and  the  individual  that 
can  contemplate  the  fact  that  he  is  thus  living, 
without   deep,    unfeigned    and    unmingled    con- 
trition, penitence  and  self-abasement,  gives  fearful 
evidence,  that   he   is   a  stranger  to  the  love  of 
Christ. 

4.  All  admit  that  it  is  the  indispensable  duty  of 
every   Christian   to   aim   at  entire   perfection   in 
holiness,   and    that    the   individual,   who   is   not 
aiming  at  a  full  discharge  of  every  duty,  is  wanting 
in,  at  least,  one  fundamental  requisite  of  Christian 
character. 

5.  All  agree  that  we  are  not  only  under  obliga- 
tion to  aim  at  such  a  state,  but  to  make  it  the  sub- 
ject of  constant  and   fervent   prayer,   that   God 
himself  will  thus  sanctify  us. 

6.  All  agree  that  it  is  practicable  for  professors 
of  religion  generally,  to  make  far  higher  attain- 
ments in  holiness  than  they  now  do.     In  view  of 
this  admission,  let  me  ask  the  question  :  Can  he  be 
a  Christian  who  is  conscious,  that  he  is  living  far 
below  his  privileges,  and  is  yet  comparatively  sat- 


ITS    NATURE.  19 

isfied  with  his  present  state,  and  is  not  making 
vigorous  and  prayerful  efforts  to  arise  to  the  full 
standard  of  practicable  attainment  ?  Is  he  not 
living  in  the  habitual  and  allowed  neglect  of  an 
acknowledged  duty  ? 

7.  All  agree  that  no  line  can  be  drawn  this  side 
of  entire  perfection  in  holiness,  beyond  which  it  is 
not  practicable  for  the  Christian  to  go. 

8.  All  agree  that  at  death,  or  a  short  period 
prior  to  that  event,  every  Christian  does  arrive  at 
a  state  of  entire  sanctification. 

Such  are  the  questions  connected  with  this 
subject,  in  reference  to  which  all  Christians  are 
agreed.  We  will  now, 

II.  In  the  second  place,  consider  the  question 
in  respect  to  which  they  differ.  It  is  in  reference 
to  the  simple  question,  Whether  we  may  now,  dur- 
ing the,  progress  of  the  present  life,  attain  to 
entire  perfection  in  holiness,  and  whether  it  is 
proper  for  us  to  indulge  the  anticipation  of  mak- 
ing such  attainments.  One  part  of  the  Church 
affirm,  that  the  perfect  obedience  which  God  re- 
quires of  us,  we  may  render  to  him.  The  other 
affirm,  that  it  is  criminal  for  us  to  expect  to  render 
that  obedience.  One  part  affirm  that  we  ought  to 
aim  at  entire  perfection  in  holiness,  with  the  ex- 
pectation of  attaining  to  that  state.  The  other 


20  CHRISTIAN   PERFECTION. 

part  affirm,  that  we  ought  to  aim  at  the  same  per- 
fection in  holiness,  with  the  certain  expectation  of 
not  attaining  to  that  state.  On  the  one  hand,  it  is 
affirmed,  that  we  ought  to  pray  that  the  "  very 
God  of  peace  will  sanctify  us  wholly,  and  preserve 
our  whole  spirit,  and  soul,  and  body,  blameless 
unto  the  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  with 
the  expectation,  that  God  will  answer  our  prayers 
by  the  bestowment  of  that  very  blessing.  On  the 
other  hand,  it  is  affirmed,  that  we  ought  to  put 
up  that  identical  prayer,  with  the  certain  expecta- 
tion of  not  receiving  the  blessing  which  we  "  desire 
of  him."  On  the  one  hand,  it  is  affirmed  that 
grace  is  provided  in  the  gospel  to  render  the  Chris- 
tian, even  in  this  life,  "  perfect  in  every  good 
work  to  do  the  will  of  God."  On  the  other  hand, 
it  is  affirmed,  that  no  such  grace  is  provided. 

Such  is  a  fair  and  unvarnished  statement  of 
questions  connected  with  the  subject  under  consid- 
eration, in  respect  to  which  Christians  agree  and 
disagree. 

III.  No  evil  can  result  from  the  belief,  that 
entire  perfection  in  holiness  is  attainable  in  this  life, 
provided  the  true  standard  of  perfection  be  kept 
constantly  and  distinctly  before  the  mind.  No  one 
can  show  any  thing  intrinsic  in  this  doctrine,  thus 
entertained,  at  which  the  Church  ought  to  be 


ITS    NATURE.  21 

alarmed.  On  the  other  hand,  the  belief  of  this 
doctrine,  under  the  circumstances  supposed,  must 
be  of  the  highest  practical  utility  ;  because  it  lays 
the  only  adequate  foundation  for  the  most  vigorous 
and  prayerful  efforts  after  those  attainments  in  ho- 
liness, at  which  all  admit  we  are  bound  to  aim. 
To  aim  at  a  state,  with  the  certain  expectation  of 
not  reaching  it,  must  be  a  hard  task  truly,  and  must 
render  all  our  efforts  well  nigh  powerless.  To 
aim  at  a  state,  on  the  other  hand,  with  the  belief 
that  it  is  attainable,  is  the  indispensable  condition  of 
efficient  action. 

IV.  Whatever  our  present  condition  and  cir- 
cumstances may  be,  there  is  no  presumption  in  our 
indulging  the  expectation  of  attaining  to  entire 
perfection  in  holiness,  provided  corresponding  pro- 
visions are  made  in  the  gospel,  and  God  himself  has 
promised  thus  to  sanctify  us.  If  Christ  has  prom- 
ised to  guard  us  against  all  temptation,  we  ought 
to  expect  to  be  thus  kept  by  him,  whatever  the 
temptations  may  be  which  beset  us.  If  God,  on 
condition  of  our  trusting  him  for  this  very  blessing, 
has  promised  to  "  sanctify  us  wholly,"  we  ought  to 
expect  to  be  thus  sanctified.  In  view  of  such 
provisions  and  promises,  there  is  no  more  presump- 
tion in  expecting  perfect,  than  partial  sanctification ; 
since  our  faith,  alike  in  both  instances,  rests  not  upon 


22  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

an  arm  of  flesh,  but  upon  the  grace  and  power  of 
God. 

V.  The  question,  whether  entire  perfection  in  ho- 
liness is  attainable  in  this  life,  depends  exclusively 
upon  the  question,  What  are  the  nature  and  extent 
of  the  provisions  of  the  gospel  for  our  present  sanc- 
tification,  and  of  the  "  exceeding  great  and  precious 
promises  "  of  divine  grace  ?     In  pursuing  our  in- 
quiries in  respect  to  this  question,  we  are  to  look 
away  from  our  condition  and  circumstances  as  sin- 
ners, and  from  our  natural  powers  as  moral  agents, 
to  the  provisions  and  promises  of  the  grace  of  God. 
If  the  "  riches  of  Christ's  inheritance  in  the  saints," 
comprehends  their  entire  sanctification  in  this  life, 
we  certainly  are  under  obligations  infinite. to  pos- 
sess that  inheritance  in  all  its  fullness.     Are  you, 
Christian,  prepared  to  enter  upon  the  investigation 
of  the  subject  before  us,  with  the  simple  inquiry, 
What  has  God  provided  for  and  promised  to  me, 
as  a  Christian  ?     When  will  the  Church  be  again 
able  to  say,  "  We  have  known  and  believed  the 
love  which  the  Father  hath  unto  us  ?  " 

VI.  Finally,  Inasmuch  as  entire  perfection  in 
holiness  is  required  of  us,  not  only  in  the  law,  but 
also  in  the  gospel,  and  is  a  ceaseless  demand  of 
our  being,  we  are  under  complete  obligation  to 


ITS    NATURE.  23 

approach  the  inquiry,  Whether  the  doctrine,  that 
such  perfection  is  attainable  in  this  life  is  contained 
in  the  Bible,  with  the  hope  of  finding  it  there. 
To  this  inquiry  the  attention  of  the  reader  will  be 
directed  in  the  following  discourse. 


DISCOURSE 


PERFECTION  IN  HOLINESS  ATTAINABLE. 

"  Be  ye  therefore  perfect,  even  as  your  Father  in  heaven  is 
perfect."— Matt.  v.  48. 

The  object  of  the  preceding  discourse  was,  to 
illustrate  and  explain  the  nature  of  Christian  Per- 
fection. The  object  of  the  present  discourse  is,  to 
answer  the  inquiry.  Is  such  a  state  attainable  in 
this  life  ?"  to  ascertain  the  fact,  whether  it  is  prac- 
ticable for  us,  as  Christians,  to  consecrate  our 
entire  being,  with  all  its  powers  and  susceptibili- 
ties, to  Christ,  and  to  live  under  the  continual 
influence  of  the  all-pervading  and  all-controlling 
principle  of  pure  and  perfect  love — "of  faith  on 
the  Son  of  God:'  * 

I  use  the  terms  attainable  and  practicable,  with 
reference,  not  merely  to  our  powers  as  moral 
agents,  but  also  with  respect  to  the  provisions  and 
promises  of  divine  grace.  If  provision  is  made  in 

*  Parts  of  this  and  the  following  Discourse  have  already  f 
been  before  the  public  in  another  form. 

2 


26  CHRISTIAN   PERFECTION. 

the  gospel  for  the  entire  sanctification  of  believers 
in  this  life,  if  God  has  promised  to  render  those 
"  perfect  in  every  good  work  to  do  his  will,"  by 
whom  he  is  inquired  of  by  faith  to  do  it  for  them, 
then  is  such  a  state,  in  the  highest  and  most  com- 
mon acceptation  of  the  term,  attainable  ;  and  we 
are  under  the  most  sacred  obligation  to  aim  at  that 
state,  with  the  full  and  joyful  expectation  of  attain- 
ing it. 

The  question  now  returns  :  Is  perfection  in  ho- 
liness, in  the  sense  of  the  term  as  above  explained, 
attainable  in  this  life  ?  That  it  is  attainable,  I 
argue  from  the  following  reasons. 

I.  The  Bible  positively  affirms  that  provision 
is  made  in  the  gospel,  for  the  attainment  of  that 
state,  and  that  to  make  such  provision  is  one  of  the 
great  objects  of  Christ's  redemption.  Rom.  viii. 
3,  4.  "  For  what  the  law  could  not  do,  in  that  it 
was  weak  through  the  flesh,  God  sending  his  own 
Son^in  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh,  and  for  sin, 
condemned  sin  in  the  flesh  ;  that  the  righteous- 
ness of  the  law  might  be  fulfilled  in  us,  who  walk 
not  after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  spirit."  The 
phrase,  (£  righteousness  of  the  law,"  obviously 
means  the  precepts  of  the  law,  or  the  moral  recti- 
tude which  the  law  requires.  This  I  argue,  1st, 
From  the  fact  that  the  same  phrase  is  undeniably 
used  in  this  sense  in  the  preceding  part  of  the 


ATTAINABLE.  27 

epistle,  chap.  ii.  26;  "If  the  circumcision  keep 
the   righteousness    [the   precepts]    of   the   law." 
Without  the  best  of  reasons,  we  should  not  sup- 
pose the  apostle  to  use  the  same  phrase,  in  entire- 
ly different  senses,  in  the  same  epistle.     2d.  Justi- 
fication, the  only  other  sense  ever,  I  believe,  at- 
tributed to  the  phrase  under  consideration,  is  never 
in  the  Bible  called  the  justi6cation  of  the  law,  but 
is  definitely  distinguished  from  it,  by  being  called 
"justification  by  faith."     3d.  If  justification  were 
the  thing  primarily  referred  to  in  this  phrase,  still 
the  moral  rectitude  required  by  the  law,  i.  e.  sanc- 
tification,  is    also   implied    in   it.     For,    if  Christ 
should  justify,  and  not  to  the  same  extent  sanctify 
his  people,  he  would  save  them  in,  and  not  from 
their   sins.     The    phrase,    "  righteousness   of  the 
law,"  then,  directly  and  primarily  means,  or  ob- 
viously implies,  the  precepts  of  the  law,  or  the 
moral  rectitude  required  by  the  law.     To  have 
this  righteousness  fulfilled  in  us,  implies,  that  it  be 
perfectly   accomplished   in   us,  or,  that    w^  are 
brought  into  perfect  conformity  to  the  moral  recti- 
tude required  by  the  law.     This  is  declared  to  be 
one  of  the  great  objects  of  Christ's  death.     Such 
conformity,  then,  is  practicable  to  the  Christian,  or 
Christ  failed   to  accomplish  one  of  the  prime  pur- 
poses of  his  redemption.     Again,   1  Peter  ii.  24, 
"  Who  his  own  self  bare  our  sins  in  his  own  body 


28  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

on  the  tree,  that  we,  being  dead  to  sins,  might  live 

unto  righteousness."     To  be  dead  to  sin,  and  alive 

unto  righteousness,  implies  entire  sanctification,  or, 

to  be  dead  in  sin,  does  not  imply  total  depravity. 

That  we   might   be  thus   dead,  and   thus  alive, 

Christ    "  bore  our  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the 

tree."     Entire  sanctification,  then,  is  attainable,  or 

Christ  failed,  in  one  important  respect,  to  finish  the 

work  which  his  Father  "  gave  him  to  do."     2  Cor. 

v.  15,  "And  he  died  for  all,  that  they  which  live 

should  not  henceforth  live  unto  themselves,  but 

unto  him  that  died  for  them,  and  rose  again."     In 

other  words,  Christ  died  that  his  people  might  be 

free  from  all  selfishness,  and  become  purely  and 

perfectly  benevolent.     Did  he  fail  to  accomplish 

his  work  ?     2  Pet.   i.  4,   "  Whereby   are   given 

unto  us  exceeding  great  and  precious  promises ; 

that  by  these  ye  might  be  partakers  of  the  divine 

nature,  having  escaped  the  corruption  that  is  in  the 

world    through   lust."     2  Cor.   vii.   1,    "Having 

therefore  these  promises,  dearly  beloved,  let   us 

cleanse  ourselves  from  all  filthiness  of  the  flesh  and 

spirit,  perfecting  holiness  in  the  fear  of  God."     If 

to   "escape  the  corruption  that  is  in  the  world 

through  lust,"  and  to  be  "  made  partakers  of  the 

divine  nature,"    to    "  cleanse  ourselves  from  all 

filthiness  of  the  flesh  and  spirit,"  and  to  "  perfect 

holiness/5  do  not  imply  entire  sanctification,  how, 


ATTAINABLE.  29 

I  ask,  can  that  doctrine  be  expressed  ?  That  the 
Christian  may  be  thus  sanctified  is  the  declared 
object  for  which  the  promises  were  given.  Who 
will  deny  that  they  are  adequate  to  this  object  ? 
Unless  they  are  thus  inadequate,  perfection  in  ho- 
liness, is,  in  this  life,  practicable  to  the  Christian. 

Under-  this  head  I  might  cite  many  other  pas- 
sages, equally  to  my  purpose ;  but  these  must  suffice. 
On  these  and  other  kindred  passages,  I  have  one 
remark  to  make,  to  which  the  special  attention  of 
the  reader  is  invited.  It  is  this — We  have  the 
same  evidence  from  the  Bible,  that  provision  is 
made  for  the  entire  sanctification  of  Christians, 
that  we  have  that  provision  is  made  for  their  entire 
justification.  Any  principles  of  interpretation  that 
will  show  that  provision  is  not  made  for  the  former, 
will  be  equally  conclusive  to  show  that  it  is  not 
made  for  the  latter. 

II.  Perfection  in  holiness  is  promised  to  the 
Christian,  in  the  new  covenant  under  which  he  is 
now  placed.  To  present  this  part  of  the  subject 
distinctly  before  the  reader's  mind,  we  will  first 
inquire  what  is  the  old  or  first  covenant.  Exod. 
xxxiv.  27,  28.  "  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses, 
write  thou  these  words  :  for  after  the  tenor  of  these 
words  have  I  made  a  covenant  with  thee,  and  with 
Israel.  And  he  was  there  with  the  Lord  forty 


30  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

days  and  forty  nights ;  he  did  neither  eat  bread 
nor  drink  water.  And  he  wrote  upon  the  tables 
the  words  of  the  covenant,  the  ten  command- 
ments." Deut.  ix.  11,  15.  "And  it  came  to  pass 
at  the  end  of  forty  days  and  forty  nights,  that  the 
Lord  gave  me  the  two  tables  of  stone,  even  the 
tables  of  the  covenant."  "  So  I  turned,  and  came 
down  from  the  mount,  and  the  mount  burned  with 
fire:  and  the  two  tables  of  the  covenant  were  in 
my  hands."  The  first,  or  the  old  covenant  then, 
is  the  moral  law,  that  law,  by  which  we  are  re- 
quired to  "  love  the  Lord  our  God  with  all  our 
powers,  and  our  neighbor  as  ourselves."  This 
covenant,  as  we  learn  from  Heb.  ix.  1 — 4,  had 
annexed  to  it  the  types  and  shadows  of  the  ancient 
dispensation.  "  Then  verily  the  first  covenant 
had  "  attached  to  it,  "  ordinances  of  divine  service, 
and  a  worldly  sanctuary,"  &c. 

What  the  new  covenant  is,  we  learn  from  Jer. 
xxxi.  31—34,  and  Heb.  viii.  8— 11.  "Behold 
the  days  come,  saith  the  Lord,  when  I  will  make 
a  new  covenant  with  the  house  of  Israel,  and  with 
the  house  of  Judah.  Not  according  to  the  cove- 
nant that  I  made  with  their  fathers,  in  the  day  that 
I  took  them  by  the  hand  to  bring  them  out  of  the 
land  of  Egypt ;  (which  my  covenant  they  brake, 
although  I  was  an  husband  unto  them,  saith  the 
Lord :)  But  this  shall  be  the  covenant  that  I  will 


ATTAINABLE.  31 

make  with  the  house  of  Israel :  After  those  days, 
saith  the  Lord,  I  will  put  my  law  in  their  inward 
parts,  and  write  it  in  their  hearts ;  and  I  will  be 
their  God,  and  they  shall  be  my  people.  And  they 
shall  teach  no  more  every  man  his  neighbor,  and 
every  man  his  brother,  saying,  Know  the  Lord : 
for  they  shall  all  know  me,  from  the  least  of  them 
unto  the  greatest  of  them,  saith  the  Lord :  for  I 
will  forgive  their  iniquity,  and  I  will  remember 
their  sins  no  more." 

The  following  blessings.,  specifically  promised  in 
this  covenant,  demand  our  special  attention.  1. 
A  confirmed  state  of  pure  and  perfect  holiness, 
such  as  the  first  covenant  or  moral  law  demands. 
"  I  will  put  my  law  in  their  inward  parts,  and 
write  it  in  their  hearts."  2.  The  pardon  of  all 
sin,  or  perfect  justification.  "  I  will  forgive  their 
iniquity,  and  I  will  remember  their  sins  no  more." 
3.  The  perpetual  fruition  of  the  divine  presence 
and  favor.  "  I  will  be  their  God,  and  they  shall 
be  my  people."  4.  The  general  spread  of  the 
gospel  among  mankind.  "  All  shall  know  me." 

We  will  now  notice  the  relations  of  these  two 
covenants. 

1.  The  same  standard  of  character,  perfect  holi- 
ness, is  common  to  both. 

2.  What  the  old  covenant  requires  of  Christians, 
the  new  promises  to  ihem.     For  example ; 


*>•    .  i    a- 


32  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

1st.  The  old  covenant  requires  perfect  holiness. 
Its  language  is,  "  Thou  shalt  be  perfect  with  the 
Lord  thy  God."  "  He  that  keepeth  the  whole 
law,  and  yet  offendeth  in  one  point,  is  guilty  of  all. " 

On  the  other  hand,  the  new  covenant  promises 
to  the  believer  perfect  holiness.  Jer.  xxxi.  32. 
"  But  this  shall  be  the  covenant  that  I  will  make 
with  the  house  of  Israel ;  after  those  days,  saith  the 
Lord,  I  will  put  my  law  in  their  inward  parts,  and 
write  it  in  their  hearts ;  and  I  will  be  their  God, 
and  they  shall  be  my  people."  See  also  Heb.  viii. 
10.  Here,  as  above  remarked,  the  very  thing 
which  the  moral  law  requires,  is  positively  promised 
to  the  believer.  Ezek.  xxxvi.  25 — 27,  "  Then  will 
I  sprinkle  clean  water  upon  you,  and  ye  shall  be 
clean ;  from  all  your  filthiness,  and  from  all  your 
idols  will  I  cleanse  you.  A  new  heart  also  will  I 
give  you,  and  a  new  spirit  will  I  put  within  you  : 
and  I  will  take  away  the  stony  heart  out  of  your 
flesh,  and  I  will  give  you  a  heart  of  flesh.  And  I 
will  put  my  spirit  within  you,  and  cause  you  to 
walk  in  my  statutes,  and  ye  shall  keep  my  judg- 
ments, and  do  them."  Is  it  in  the  power  of  lan- 
guage to  express  the  doctrine  of  entire  sanctifica- 
tion,  if  it  is  not  here  expressed?  Jer.  1.  2.  "In 
those  days,  and  at  that  time,  saith  the  Lord,  the 
iniquity  of  Israel  shall  be  sought  for,  and  there  shall 
be  none  ;  and  the  sins  of  Judah,  and  they  shall  not 


ATTAINABLE.  33 

be  found :  For  I  will  pardon  them  whom  I  reserve." 
What  other  thought,  let  me  ask,  is  such  language 
adapted  to  convey  but  this, — a  state  of  entire  sanc- 
tification?  Deut.  xxx.  6,  "And  the  Lord  thy 
God  will  circumcise  thine  heart,  and  the  heart  of 
thy  seed,  to  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thine 
heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  that  thou  mayest  live.'7 
Here  the  perfect  holiness  required  by  the  law,  is 
promised  in  the  very  words  of  the  law  itself. 

Again,  2d.  The  old  covenant  or  moral  law 
requires  not  only  perfect,  but  perpetual  holiness. 
Gal.  iii.  10,  "  Cursed  is  every  one  that  continueth 
not  in  all  things  which  are  written  in  the  book  of 
the  law  to  do  them."  The  new  covenant,  on  the 
other  hand,  promises  not  only  perfect  but  perpetu- 
al holiness.  Jer.  xxxii.  30,  40,  "And  I  will  give 
them  one  heart,  and  one  way,  that  they  may  fear 
me  for  ever,  for  the  good  of  them,  and  of  their  chil- 
dren after  them.  And  I  will  make  an  everlasting 
covenant  with  them,  that  I  will  not  turn  away 
from  them,  to  do  them  good ;  but  I  will  put  my 
fear  in  their  hearts,  that  they  shall  not  depart  from 
me."  If,  to  give  to  Christians  one  heart  and  one 
way,  that  they  may  fear  God  for  ever,  and  never 
depart  from  him,  does  not  imply,  not  only  perfect, 
but  perpetual  holiness,  we  may  truly  say,  that  lan- 
guage cannot  express  that  idea.  Ezek.  xxxvii.  23, 
"  Neither  shall  they  defile  themselves  any  more 


34  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

with  their  idols,  nor  with  their  detestable  things, 
nor  with  any  of  their  transgressions."  Every  one 
will  perceive,  that  if  the  Holy  Spirit  has  not  here 
given  us  the  promise  not  only  of  perfect  but  per- 
petual holiness,  he  has  made  as  near  an  approach 
to  it  as  is  in  the  power  of  language  to  make,  and 
that  if  he  had  designed  to  express  that  promise, 
no  stronger  language  could  possibly  have  been 
used. 

The  same  truth  is  taught  with  equal  distinct- 
ness in  Isa.  lix.  21,  and  Luke  i.  74,  75  ;  "As  for 
me,  this  is  my  covenant  with  them,  saith  the  Lord : 
My  Spirit  which  is  upon  thee,  and  my  words  which 
I  have  put  in  thy  mouth,  shall  not  depart  out  of  thy 
mouth,  nor  out  of  the  mouth  of  thy  seed,  nor  out  of 
the  mouth  of  thy  seed's  seed,  saith  the  Lord,  from 
henceforth  and  for  ever."  "  That  he  would  grant  un- 
to us,  that  we,  being  delivered  out  of  the  hand  of  our 
enemies,  might  serve  him  without  fear,  in  holiness 
and  righteousness  before  him,  all  the  rest  of  our 
life." 

I  cite  but  one  other  passage  under  this  head, 
— a  passage,  which,  if  we  had  none  others  of 
the  kind  in  the  Bible,  would  place  the  doctrine 
under  consideration  upon  an  eternal  rock.  1  Thes. 
v.  23,  24,  "And  the  very  God  of  peace  sanctify 
you  wholly ;  and  I  pray  God  your  whole  spirit, „ 
and  soul,  and  body,  be  preserved  blameless  unto 
the  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Faithful  is 


ATTAINABLE.  35 

he  that  calleth  you,  who  also  will  do  it."  Here 
we  have,  1.  A  prayer,  for  perfect  and  perpetual 
holiness,  dictated  by  the  direct  inspiration  of  the 
Spirit  of  God.  Who  can  believe,  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  has  dictated  a  prayer  which  is  not  "  accord- 
ing to  the  will  of  God,"  and  which  he  requires  us 
to  believe  that  God  will  never  answer  by  the  be- 
stowment  of  the  blessing  "  desired  of  him  ?"  2. 
We  have  the  positive  declaration  of  God  himself, 
that  this  blessing,  when  asked  in  faith,  shall  be 
granted.  "  Faithful  is  he  that  calleth  you,  who 
also  will  do  it."  On  the  promises  of  Scripture,  as 
thus  presented,  I  remark ; 

1.  That  we  have  evidence  just  as  conclusive, 
that  perfect  and  perpetual  holiness  is  promised  to 
Christians,  as  we  have  that  it  is  required  of  them. 
Any  principles  of  interpretation  that  would  prove 
that  the  former  is  not  promised,  would  be  equally 
conclusive  to  show  that  the  latter  is  not  required. 

2.  We  have  the  same  evidence  from  Scripture, 
that  all  Christians  may,  and  that  some  of  them  will 
attain  to  a  state  of  entire  sanctification  in  this  life, 
that  we  have  that  they  will  attain  to  that  state  in 
heaven.      No   passages   can   be   adduced  which 
more  positively  affirm  the  latter  than  the  former. 
Any  principles  of  interpretation  that  will  show  that 
•such  passages  as  I  have  cited,  and  shall  hereafter 
cite,  do  not  prove  the  practicability  of  perfect  holi- 


36  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

ness  here,  will  annihilate  all  evidence  that  heaven 
itself  is  a  state  of  perfect  and  perpetual  purity. 

An  objection,  deserving  a  passing  notice,  is 
sometimes  brought  to  the  view  of  the  new  cove- 
nant here  given.  This  covenant,  it  is  said,  is 
applicable  to  the  Jews  only.  To  this  position  I 
reply, 

1st.  That  to  the  converted  Jew,  at  least,  en- 
tire sanctification  is  undeniably  attainable.  Why 
deny  it  to  other  Christians  ? 

2d.  Christ  is  the  mediator  of  the  new  covenant. 
Does  he,  as  mediator,  sustain  one  relation  to  the, 
Jewish,  and  another  to  the  Gentile  Christian  ?  Has 
he  not  "  broken  down  the  wall  of  partition  be- 
tween them,"  and  made  both  one  ? 

3d.  In  Eph.  iii.  6,  and  elsewhere,  we  learn  that 
the  Gentiles  have  become  "  fellow  heirs,"  and 
"of  the  same  body,"  and  partakers  of  the  same 
promise  with  the  Jews. 

4th.  The  promise,  from  Thessalonians,  above 
cited,  is  expressly  addressed  to  all  Christians, 
without  discrimination. 

III.  I  infer,  that  a  state  of  perfect  holiness  is 
attainable  in  this  life,  from  the  commands  of  Scrip- 
ture, addressed  to  Christians  under  the  new  cove- 
nant. I  refer  here  not  merely  to  the  fact,  that  per- 
fect holiness  is  required  of  Christians,  but  to  the 


ATTAINABLE.  37 

manner  and  circumstances  in  which  these  com- 
mands are  given.  A  general  sends  to  a  subordi- 
nate officer,  a  despatch  containing  several  distinct 
and  specific  requisitions.  The  officer  selects  one 
of  these  requisitions,  given  in  the  same  manner 
and  circumstances  as  all  the  rest,  and  affirms,  that  his 
commander  never  expected  obedience  to  this  com- 
mand, and  that  it  would  be  criminal  to  suppose  he 
did.  What  would  be  thought  of  such  a  conclusion  ? 
In  the  light  of  this  illustration  let  us  first  contemplate 
the  command  of  Christ,  Matt.  v.  48,  "Be  ye 
therefore  perfect,  even  as  your  Father  in  heaven 
is  perfect."  To  every  other  precept  found  in  this 
discourse,  all  admit  that  obedience  is  not  only  re- 
quired, but  expected.  On  what  authority,  I  ask, 
is  this  one  precept  selected  from  the  midst  of  such 
requisitions,  as  the  solitary  command  to  which 
obedience  is  not  expected, — a  command  clothed  in 
similar  language,  given  at  the  same  time,  and  un- 
der the  same  circumstances  as  all  the  others  among 
which  it  is  found?  Again,  2  Cor.  xiii.  11,  "Fi- 
nally, brethren,  farewell.  Be  perfect,  be  of  good 
comfort,  be  of  one  mind,  live  in  peace  ;  and  the 
God  of  love  and  peace  shall  be  with  you."  Why 
except  the  first  of  these  precepts,  and  maintain 
that  obedience  to  all  the  rest  is  expected  ?  How 
could  the  expectations  of  the  Spirit  be  more  clearly 
indicated,  respecting  the  precept,  "  be  perfect," 


38  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

than  by  clustering  it,  in  this  manner,  with  other 
precepts,  in  respect  to  which  we  know  that  such 
expectations  exist  ?  2  Cor.  vii.  1,  "  Having  there- 
fore  these  promises,  dearly  beloved,  let  us  cleanse 
ourselves  from  all  filthiness  of  the  flesh  and  spirit, 
perfecting  holiness  in  the  fear  of  God/' — Who 
would  dare  affirm  to  the  Christian  that  what  he 
is  here  exhorted  and  commanded  to  do,  he  never 
can  nor  will  do;  and  that  it  is  heresy  for  him 
to  expect  it?  1  Timothy  vi.  13,  14,  "I  give 
thee  charge  in  the  sight  of  God,  who  quick- 
eneth  all  things,  and  before  Jesus  Christ,  who, 
before  Pontius  Pilate,  witnessed  a  good  confes- 
sion, that  thou  keep  this  commandment  without 
spot,  unrebukable,  until  the  appearing  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ."  The  command  here  referred  to, 
as  any  one  will  see,  who  will  read  the  context,  in- 
cludes every  thing  required  of  Christians.  Let  us 
suppose  that  Timothy  had  answered  this  epistle, 
informing  Paul  that  he  had  read  his  charge  w7ith 
solemn  interest,  and  that,  by  the  grace  of  God,  he 
expected  to  keep  it.  What  should  we  think,  if, 
in  Paul's  second  epistle,  such  a  rejoinder  as  this 
were  found?  "Timothy,  your  letter  to  me  has 
filled  me  with  amazement  and  sorrow  of  heart. 
You  have  become  a  wild  fanatic — a  Perfectionist. 
How  could  you  have  misunderstood  me  so  much, 
as  to  suppose,  that  I  ever  dreamed,  that  you  would 


ATTAINABLE.  39 

expect  to  keep  that  awful  charge  ?"  Why  should 
we  be  shocked  at  such  a  reply  ?  Simply  because 
we  cannot  believe  that  such  a  charge  could  be  dic- 
tated by  the  Spirit  of  God,  not  only  in  the  absence 
of  all  expectation  that  it  would  be  kept,  but  with 
the  intention  of  impressing  the  subject  with  the 
opposite  belief, 

IV.  As  a  fourth  argument  in  favor  of  the  attain- 
ableness  of  entire  sanctification  in  this  life,  we  will 
now  consider  the  prayer,  dictated  by  our  Saviour 
to  his  disciples,  together  with  the  one  put  up  by 
him,  in  behalf  of  the  Church,  on  the  evening  pre- 
ceding his  crucifixion.  Who  can  believe  that 
Christ  'has  dictated  a  standing  petition  for  the 
Church,  which  he  requires  her  to  believe  that  it 
is  not  for  the  glory  of  God  to  answer  ?  Matt.  vi. 
10.  "  Thy  will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  in  hea- 
ven." That  this  is  a  prayer  for  perfection  in  holi- 
ness, none,  I  presume,  will  deny.  From  the  fact 
that  Christ  dictated  this  petition,  I  infer,  1st.  That 
the  object  of  this  petition  is  agreeable  to  the  will 
of  God,  and  consequently  that  when  the  Church 
puts  up  the  petition  in  faith,  she  will  be  heard,  and 
will  have  the  petition  which  she  desired  of  Him. 
2d.  That  in  the  petition  we  have  the  pledge  of 
Christ  that  it  shall  be  granted  when  asked  in  faith ; 


40  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

just  as  the  petition,  "  Thy  kingdom  come,"  con- 
tains a  pledge  that  that  kingdom  shall  come. 

Again,  John  xvii.  20 — 23,  "  Neither  pray  1  for 
these  alone,  but  for  them  also  which  shall  believe 
on  me  through  their  word ;  that  they  all  may  be 
one ;  as  thou  Father  art  in  me,  and  I  in  thee,  that 
they  also  may  be  one  in  us :  that  the  world  may 
believe  that  thou  hast  sent  me.  And  the  glory 
which  thou  gavest  me  I  have  given  them  ;  that  they 
may  be  one,  even  as  we  are  one :  I  in  them,  and 
thou  in  me,  that  they  may  be  made  perfect  in  one  ; 
and  that  the  world  may  know  that  thou  hast  sent 
me,  and  hast  loved  them,  as  thou  hast  loved  me." 

On  this  passage  I  remark,  1st.  That  the  union 
here  prayed  for  is  a  union  of  perfect  love.  "As 
thou,  Father,  art  in  me  and  I  in  thee."  In  other 
words,  perfection  in  holiness  is  the  object  of  this 
prayer.  2d.  The  salvation  of  the  world  is  de- 
clared to  be  suspended  upon  the  existence  of  this 
love  among  believers.  "  That  the  world  may 
believe  and  know  that  thou  hast  sent  me."  Con- 
sequently, we  must  admit  that  this  love  and  conse- 
quent union  will  exist  among  believers,  or  maintain, 
1st.  That  Christ  at  that  solemn  hour  prayed  for 
that  which  he  requires  us  to  believe,  that  it  is  not 
for  the  glory  of  God  to  bestow  upon  his  children. 
2d.  That  the  world  are  never  to  believe  in  Christ. 
Christian,  ponder  this  prayer,  and  then  ask  yourself 


ATTAINABLE.  41 

if  you  can  believe,  or  dare  affirm,  that  this  love 
shall  never,  in  this  life,  exist  in  your  heart. 

V.  I  argue,  that  perfection  in  holiness  is  attain- 
able in  this  life,  and  that  the  sacred  writers  intended 
to  teach  the  doctrine,  from  the  fact,  that  inspired 
men  made  the  attainment  of  this  particular  state 
the  subject  of  definite,  fervent,  and  constant  prayer. 
Col.  iv.  12,  "  Epaphras,  who  is  one  of  you,  a 
servant  of  Christ,  saluteth  you,  always  laboring 
fervently  for  you  in  prayers,  that  ye  may  stand 
perfect  and  complete  in  all  the  will  of  God."  Heb. 
xiii.  20,  21,  "  Now  the  God  of  peace,  that  brought 
again  from  the  dead  the  Lord  Jesus,  that  great 
Shepherd  of  the  sheep,  through  the  blood  of  the 
everlasting  covenant,  make  you  perfect  in  every 
good  work  to  do  his  will,  working  in  you  that 
which  is  well  pleasing  in  his  sight,  through  Jesus 
Christ."  The  prayer  of  the  apostle  in  1  Thes.  v. 
23,  is  also  distinctly  before  the  reader's  mind. 
"  The  very  God  of  peace  sanctify  you  wholly," 
&c.  On  these  and  kindred  passages  I  remark, 

1.  Such  prayers  are  in  perfect  conformity  with 
the  prayer  of  Christ  himself  in  behalf  of  his  church, 
as  recorded  in  John  xvii.  20 — 23,  and  cited 
above.  They  are  also  in  conformity  with  the 
standing  petition  which  Christ  dictated  to  his 
3 


42  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION 

church.     "Thy  will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  done 
in  heaven." 

2.  All  such  prayers  are  dictated  by  direct  inspi- 
ration of  the  Holy  Spirit.     Now  in  Rom.  viii.  27, 
we  learn,  that  the  "  Spirit  rnaketh  intercession  for 
the   saints  according  to   the  will   of  God."     In 
1  John  v.  14,  15,  we  also  learn,  that  "  this  is  the 
confidence  that  we  have  in  him,  [Christ,]  that  if 
we  ask  any  thing  according  to  his  will,  he  heareth 
us :  And  if  we  know  that  he  hear  us,  we  know 
that  whatsoever  we  ask,  we  have  the   petitions 
that  we  desired  of  him."     Have  we  not  then  proof 
positive,  that  when  we  pray,  and  pray  in  faith,  for 
perfect   holiness,  that   blessing  will  be  bestowed 
upon  us.     Is  it  possible,  reader,  for  us  to  believe, 
that  Christ  himself  prayed,  and  taught  his  church 
to  pray,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  inspired  and  influenced 
apostles  and  saints  to  pray,  for  a  blessing  which 
the  Scriptures  require  us  to  believe   God  will  not 
bestow  upon  his  people  ? 

3.  Let  us  suppose  that  God  has  revealed  to  us 
the  fact,  that  he  has  made  no  provision  for  the  be- 
stowment  of  a  certain  blessing  upon  us,  that  what- 
ever our  prayers,  intentions,  and  efforts  actually 
may  be,  infinite  wisdom  has  unchangeably  deter- 
mined to  withhold  the  grace  necessary  to  its  attain- 
ment in  this  life.     Would  it  be  proper  for  us,  under 
such   circumstances,  to    pray  for   that   blessing? 


ATTAINABLE.  43 

What  would  such  a  prayer  be,  less  than  a  request, 
that  God  would  reverse  the  revealed  dictates  of  in- 
finite wisdom  ?  In  what  other  light  shall  we  re- 
gard the  prayers  of  inspired  men  for  the  perfect 
holiness  of  Christians,  on  the  supposition  that  God 
had  revealed  to  them  the  fact,  that  no  provisions 
were  made  in  the  gospel  for  the  bestowment  of 
that  blessing,  that  he  had  irreversibly  determined 
not  to  confer  the  grace  necessary  to  its  attainment, 
whatever  the  prayers  and  efforts  of  his  people 
actually  might  be,  and  that  it  is  a  dangerous  error 
for  them  to  suppose  the  opposite?  Is  not  the 
fact,  that  inspired  men  prayed  thus  fervently 
and  constantly  for  this  blessing,  the  highest  possi- 
ble evidence,  that  they  regarded  the  attainment 
of  the  blessing,  as  coming  within  the  range  of 
the  provisions  and  promises  of  divine  grace  ? 

VI.  I  infer  that  perfect  holiness  is  attainable  in 
this  life,  from  the  many  promises  of  Scripture  which 
are  conditioned  on  this  state.  For  example  :  Isa. 
xx vi.  3  :  "  Thou  wilt  keep  him  in  perfect  peace 
whose  mind  is  stayed  on  thee,  because  he  trusteth 
in  thee."  Mat.  vi.  22  :  "  If  therefore  thine  eye  be 
single,  thy  whole  body  shall  be  full  of  light."  2 
Cor.  xiii.  11:  "Be  perfect,  be  of  good  comfort,  be 
of  one  mind,  live  in  peace ;  and  the  God  of  love 
and  peace  shall  be  with  you."  Phil.  iv.  6,  7  : 


44  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

"  Be  careful  for  nothing ;  but  in  every  thing  by 
prayer  and  supplication,  with  thanksgiving,  let  your 
requests  be  made  known  unto  God.  And  the 
peace  of  God,  which  passeth  all  understanding, 
shall  keep  your  hearts  and  minds,  through  Christ 
Jesus."  All  the  blessings  promised  in  such  pas- 
sages, of  which  the  Bible  is  full,  are  conditioned 
directly  or  indirectly  on  the  existence  of  perfect 
holiness  in  the  subject.  When,  for  example,  God 
promises  "  perfect  peace  to  those  whose  minds  are 
stayed  on  him,"  the  condition  of  the  promise,  is  of 
course,  perfect  faith,  or  confidence.  Because  the 
want  of  such  confidence  would  forfeit  the  blessing, 
or  render  the  enjoyment  of  it  an  impossibility.  So 
also  the  "  single  eye,"  the  command,  "be  perfect," 
and  "  be  careful  for  nothing,"  &c.,  directly  require 
the  same  thing,  or  a  state  of  perfect  holiness. 
Does  God  promise  to  his  people  in  this  life,  bles- 
sings of  infinite  value,  upon  conditions  which  he  re- 
quires them  to  regard  as  impracticable  ?  What  is 
this  but  the  most  solemn  mockery  conceivable  ? 
A  parent  continually  holds  before  his  children 
promises  of  the  richest  blessings  in  his  power  to 
bestow,  but  all  pledged  upon  conditions  with 
which  he  holds  it  criminal  in  them  to  believe  they 
will  ever  comply.  What  would  be  thought  of 
such  a  parent  ?  Shall  we  charge  such  conduct  upon 
God? 


ATTAINABLE.  45 

In  reply  to  the  above  argument,  it  is  sometimes 
said,  that  Christians  do  experience  the  fulfilment 
of  these  promises  in  proportion  to  their  fidelity. 
Very  true,  I  reply.  This  fact  however  does  not  in 
the  least  diminish  the  force  of  the  argument,  as 
above  stated.  God  does  hold  out  the  richest  bles- 
sings upon  the  definite  condition  of  perfect  holiness 
in  us.  Now  if,  as  is  true,  according  to  the  com- 
mon theory,  he  requires  us  to  believe  that  these 
blessings  are  proffered  upon  a  condition  with  which 
we  shall  not  comply,  what  is  this,  I  ask  again,  but 
the  most  solemn  mockery  conceivable  ? 

VII.  I  argue,  that  perfection  in  holiness  is  at 
tainable  in  this  life,  from  the  testimony  of  Scripture 
that  some  did  attain  to  that  state.  On  this  subject  1 
remark,  1 .  That  from  what  the  sacred  writers  have 
left  on  record  in  respect  to  the  provisions  and 
promises  of  divine  grace,  from  their  prayers,  ex- 
hortations, precepts,  &c.,  in  respect  to  this  identi- 
cal subject ;  in  short,  from  the  fact  that  this  partic- 
ular subject  was  the  special  theme  of  their  medita- 
tions, discourses  and  prayers,  we  ought  to  conclude, 
in  the  absence  of  positive  proof  to  the  contrary, 
that  they  did  attain  to  this  state  ;  just  as,  in  the 
absence  of  evidence  to  the  contrary,  we  ought  to 
conclude  that  they  died  in  the  triumphs  of  faith. 

2.  The  fact,  that  some  of  them  are  said  to  have 


46  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION* 

fallen  into  sin  in  some  particular  instances,  is  no 
evidence  at  all,  that  they  did  not  subsequently  at- 
tain to  a  state  of  entire  sanctification,  any  more 
than  the  sins  of  Paul  previous  to  his  conversion  are 
proof  of  his  want  of  holiness  subsequent  to  that 
event. 

3.  There  is  no  positive  evidence  on  record,  that 
many  of  those  men  did  not  attain  to  this  state,  any 
more  than  there  is,  that  they  did  not  "  die  in  faith." 

4.  There  is,  on  the  other  hand,  positive  evi^ 
dence  that  some  of  them  did  attain  to  this  state. 
To  show  this,  1  begin  with  the  character  of  Paul, 
as  drawn  by  the  pen  of  inspiration.     In  respect  to 
this  apostle,  I  remark,  1.  That  there  is  but  one  act 
of  his  entire  Christian  life,  on  record,  which  is  of 
a  doubtful  character.     I  refer  to  his  controversy 
with  Barnabas.  2.  With  this  exception,  and  wheth- 
er it  be  an  exception,  is,  to  say  the  least,  doubtful, 
his  character,  as  presented  by  the  sacred  historian, 
is  "  perfect  and  entire,  wanting  nothing."     3.  The 
testimony  of  the  apostle  to  his  own  attainments, 
shows   that  he  had  arrived  to  a  state  of  entire 
sanctification.     Gal.  ii.  20.  "  I  am  crucified  with 
Christ :  nevertheless  I  live  ;  yet  not  I,  but  Christ 
liveth  in  me ;  and  the  life  which  I  now  live  in  the 
flesh,  I  live  by  faith  on  the  Son  of  God."   1  Thes. 
ii.  10.  "  Ye  are  witnesses,  and  God  also,  how  holi- 
ly,  and  justly,  and  unblamably,  we  behaved  our- 


ATTAINABLE.  47 

selves  among  you  that  believe."  1  Cor.  iv.  4.  "  1 
know  nothing  by  myself,'1'  i.  e.,  I  am  conscious  of 
no  wrong.  Acts  xx.  26.  "  Wherefore  I  take  you 
to  record  this  day,  that  I  am  pure  of  the  blood  of 
all  men."  Now,  who  would  dare  to  apply  such 
language  to  himself,  who  was  conscious  of  being  in 
any  other  than  a  state  of  entire  consecration  to 
Christ?  How  can  he  be  "pure  of  the  blood  of  all 
men,"  who  is  constantly  failing  in  his  duty  ?  And 
we  do  fail  in  our  duty  to  men,  when  we  are  not 
wholly  consecrated  to  Christ.  How  can  he  be 
conscious  of  no  wrong,  and  affirm  of  himself  that 
he  lives  "  holily,  and  justly,  and  unblamably,"  not 
in  the  sight  of  men  merely,  but  also  in  the  sight  of 
God,  who  is  conscious  of  daily  and  hourly  depar- 
tures from  the  rectitude  required  by  the  gospel  ? 
Who,  let  me  ask,  in  view  of  the  character  of  Paul, 
as  drawn  by  the  pen  of  inspiration,  and  of  his  own 
testimony  to  his  own  attainments,  will  dare  to  lay 
sin  to  his  charge,  or  affirm  that  he  did  not  arrive 
to  a  state  of  perfect  consecration  to  Christ  ? 

Again,  1  John,  iii.  21,  and  iv.  17,  18  :  "  Belov- 
ed, if  our  heart  condemn  us  not,  then  have  we 
confidence  toward  God."  "Herein  is  our  love 
made  perfect,  that  we  may  have  boldness  in  the 
day  of  judgment,  because  as  he  is,  so  are  we  in 
this  world."  "There  is  no  fear  in  love,  but  perfect 
love  casteth  out  fear."  Who  can  read  such  decla- 


48  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

rations,  without  the  conviction  that  the  apostle  in 
here  speaking  of  what  he  knew  to  be  true  from 
actual  experience  ?  Was  he  a  stranger  to  a  heart 
that  doth  not  condemn,  and  its  effects,  and  to  per- 
fect love,  and  its  consequences  ?  Is  he  not  testify  ing 
as  a  witness  to  what  his  own  consciousness  affirm- 
ed to  be  a  reality  ? 

If  the  "  one  hundred  and  forty  and  four  thousand 
also,  who  follow  the  Lamb  whithersoever  he  go- 
eth,"  are  not  declared,  Rev.  xiv.  4,  5,  to  have  at- 
tained to  perfect  holiness  in  this  life,  I  have  failed 
to  divine  the  meaning  of  the  passage.  "  These  are 
they  who  were  not  defiled  with  women,  for  they 
are  virgins."  "  And  in  their  mouth  was  found  no 
guile :  for  they  are  without  fault  before  the  throne 
of  God."  The  phrase,  "  they  are  without  fault," 
evidently  relates  to  their  character  as  Christians  in 
this  life.  Because  the  conjunction  "  for"  connects 
this  with  the  preceding  part  of  the  sentence,  the 
meaning  of  which  is  perfectly  evident ;  also,  be- 
cause the  reason  is  here  assigned  for  their  preemi- 
nent glory  in  heaven.  All  this  may  be  said  to  be 
mere  hyperbole.  I  will  not,  therefore,  insist  upon 
it.  The  same  principle,  however,  would  be  equal- 
ly applicable  to  any  phraseology  that  could  have 
been  adopted. 

Isa.  vi.  5 — 8.  "Then  said  I,  wo  is  me!  for  I 
am  undone ;  because  I  am  a  man  of  unclean  lips, 


ATTAINABLE.  49 

and  I  dwell  in  the  midst  of  a  people  of  unclean 
lips :  for  mine  eyes  have  seen  the  King,  the  Lord 
of  hosts.  Then  flew  one  of  the  seraphim  unto  me, 
having  a  live  coal  in  his  hand,  which  he  had  taken 
with  the  tongs  from  off  the  altar :  And  he  laid  it 
on  my  mouth,  and  said,  Lo  this  hath  touched  thy 
lips ;  and  thine  iniquity  is  taken  away,  and  thy  sin 
is  purged."  Previous  to  this  event,  the  prophet 
had  at  least  some  degree  of  holiness.  What  was 
his  state  subsequently,  when  "  his  iniquity  was  ta- 
ken away,  and  his  sin  purged?"  Was  it  a  little 
higher  degree  of  holiness  than  he  before  possessed  ? 
Was  it  not,  as  the  language  used  implies,  a  state 
of  perfect  holiness? 
Other  cases  might  be  cited ;  but  these  must  suffice. 

VIII.  I  argue  that  perfection  in  holiness  is  at- 
tainable in  this  life,  from  the  fact,  that  no  one  can 
point  out  any  incentive  to  sin,  from  within  or 
around  him,  for  which  a  specific  remedy  is  not 
provided  in  the  gospel.  Do  our  lusts  rebel?  We 
are  told,  that  if  "  Christ  be  in  us,  the  body  is  dead 
because  of  sin,"  that  "  the  old  man  is  crucified 
with  him,"  and  that  if  we  will  "  walk  in  the  spirit, 
we  shall  not  fulfil  the  lusts  of  the  flesh."  Do 
the  world  and  Satan  entice  ?  We  are  assured  that 
"  this  is  the  victory  that  overcometh  the  world, 
even  our  faith,"  that  "  stronger  is  he  that  is  in  us 


50  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

than  he  that  is  in  the  world  ;"  and  that  when  we 
have  "put  on  the  whole  armor  of  God,"  we  shall 
be  able  with  the  shield  of  faith  to  "  quench  all  the 
firey  darts  of  the  wicked  one."  In  short,  from 
whatever  source  temptation  to  sin  arises,  we  are 
assured  that  God  will  not  "  suffer  us  to  be  tempted 
above  what  we  are  able,"  but  will  "  with  the  temp- 
tation make  way  for  our  escape."  With  Christ 
within  us,  and  these  "  exceeding  great  and  precious 
promises"  around  us,  we  are  commanded  to  "  reckon 
ourselves  dead  indeed  to  sin,  and  alive  unto  God 
through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  In  the  presence 
of  such  facts  and  promises,  who  would  dare  to  say 
to  the  Christian,  It  is  impracticable  for  you  to 
(t  cleanse  yourself  from  all  filthiness  of  the  flesh  and 
spirit,  perfecting  holiness  in  the  fear  of  God  ?" 

IX.  I  argue,  that  perfection  in  holiness  is  attain- 
able in  this  life,  from  the  fact,  that  no  one  can  lay 
down  any  line  this  side  of  that  state,  beyond  which 
it  is  not  practicable  for  the  Christian  to  go.  Who 
would  dare  to  lay  down  such  a  line,  and  then  say 
to  the  convert,  panting  after  holiness,  "  as  the 
hart  panteth  after  the  water  brooks,"  "  Hitherto 
mayest  thou  come,  and  no  farther?" 

,* 

*  X.  As  another  argument  in  favor  of  the  attain- 

*  ableness  of  holiness  in  this  life,  I  adduce  the  strik- 


ATTAINABLE.  51 

ing  contrast  between  the  language  of  inspiration 
and  of  the  church  upon  this  subject,  wherever  the 
church  has  denied  the  doctrine  under  considera- 
tion. I  appeal/ to  the  conscience  and  memory  of 
every  one  who  reads  these  pages,  whether  from 
the  pulpit,  the  press,  or  the  private  walks  of  life, 
as  far  as  this  doctrine  has  been  denied,  you  have 
ever  heard  language  which  corresponds  with  the 
plain,  positive,  and  unqualified  declarations  of  the 
Bible  upon  this  subject,  which  have  now  been 
spread  out  before  you.  Why  this  contrast  between 
the  language  of  inspiration  and  of  the  church  ?  One 
supposition,  and  one  only,  in  my  judgment,  solves 
the  mystery.  The  church  and  the  sacred  writers 
hold  different  sentiments  upon  this  subject. 

Let  any  minister,  for  example,  holding  the  com- 
mon sentiments  upon  this  subject,  begin,  in  the 
simple  and  unqualified  language  of  inspiration,  to 
pray  that  his  people  may  be  "  sanctified  wholly, 
and  preserved  in  that  state  unto  the  coming  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ ;"  let  him  charge  them  "  be- 
fore God  and  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  to  keep  the 
commandments  of  God  without  spot,  unrebukable, 
until  the  appearing  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;"  let 
him  begin  to  talk  of  the  perfect  peace  of  pure  and 
perfect  love ;  let  him  tell  his  people  that  the  blood 
of  Christ  "  cleanseth  from  all  sin,"  and  that  he 
"  bore  our  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree,  that 


52  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

we,  being  dead  to  sin,  might  live  unto  righteous- 
ness," that  the  "  righteousness  of  the  law  might 
be  fulfilled  in  us,"  fee.,  what  would  his  church 
and  congregation  think  of  him?  Would  they  not 
conclude,  that  he  had  adopted  some  entirely  new 
theory  in  regard  to  Christian  Perfection  ?  I  ask 
again,  why  has  the  language  of  the  Bible  so  en- 
tirely disappeared,  so  far  as  this  doctrine  is  denied  ; 
and  why  is  it,  that,  as  soon  as  this  doctrine  is 
adopted,  the  simple  and  expressive  language  of 
the  Bible  reappears,  as  the  only  language  appro- 
priate to  express  the  sentiments  of  the  preacher 
and  the  church  ? 

XL  The  convictions  of  the  church,  as  univer- 
sally expressed  in  her  covenants,  demand  the  ad- 
mission of  the  attainableness  of  perfect  holiness  in 
this  life.  I  have  never,  that  I  recollect,  read  or 
heard  of  such  a  covenant,  which  did  not  pledge  its 
members  to  a  state  of  entire  sanctification.  Every 
one,  in  the  presence  of  God,  angels  and  men,  and 
that  under  the  sanction  of  the  most  solemn  oath, 
avouches  the  Lord  to  be  his  God,  promising  to 
obey  him  in  all  things,  and  none  else,  to  "  deny 
himself  of  all  ungodliness  and  every  worldly  lust, 
and  to  live  soberly,  and  righteously,  and  godly,  in 
this  present  evil  world."  This  is  nothing  less  than 


ATTAINABLE.  53 

a  pledge  to  "  be  perfect,"  and  no  church  dares  to 
pledge  her  members  to  do  less  than  this. 

Yet  while  this  pledge  is  thus  solemnly  imposed 
upon  all  her  members,  they  are  required,  under 
sanctions  hardly  less  awful,  to  believe,  that  this 
pledge  will  never  be  redeemed,  and  that  it  is  a 
crime  to  suppose  that  it  may.  All  this  is  done  in 
the  face  of  an  acknowledged  Divine  declaration, 
"  It  is  better  that  thou  shouldst  not  vow,  than  to 
vow  and  not  pay."  Now  why  has  the  Holy  Spirit 
thus  constrained  the  church  to  pledge  her  mem- 
bers, in  direct  opposition  to  her  creed  ?  To  open 
her  eyes  to  the  absurdity  and  ruinous  tendency  of 
her  creed,  in  respect  to  the  subject  under  consid- 
eration. Such  is  my  solemn  conviction.  The 
churches  of  Christ  are  bound  fundamenlltay  to 
change  their  covenants,  or  admit  the  doctrine  under 
consideration. 

XII.  The  tendency  of  this  doctrine,  as  compar- 
ed with  that  of  the  opposite,  is  another  important 
reason  why  we  should  admit  it.  To  place  this 
part  of  the  subject  distinctly  before  the  mind,  I  re- 
mark, 

1.  That  as  it  was  observed  in  the  preceding  dis- 
course, no  evil  can  result  from  the  belief  of  this 
doctrine,  provided  we  keep  the  true  standard  of 
holiness  distinctly  in  view.  Christ  requires  us  to 


54  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

consecrate  to  him  our  entire  being.  What  evil  can 
result  from  the  belief  that  we  may  do  this,  provi- 
ded we  understand  what  this  requirement  is?  All 
the  evil  that  has  ever  arisen,  connected  with  this 
doctrine,  can  be  demonstrated  to  have  arisen,  not 
from  the  belief  that  perfection  in  holiness  is  practi- 
cable to  the  Christian,  but  from  a  misapprehension 
of  the  nature  of  holiness  itself. 

2.  The  belief  that  perfection  in  holiness  is  at- 
tainable in  this  life,  involves  the  very  principle 
that  is  considered  necessary  to  efficient  action  on 
every   other    subject.       Who    would  expect    an 
army  to  fight  with  energy  under  the  impression  of 
inevitable  defeat?     All  acknowledge  it  to  be  the 
duty  of  the  Christian  to  aim  at  perfection  in  holi- 
ness.    How  can  he  do  this  efficiently,  with  the 
persuasion  that  such  perfection  is  impracticable? 

3.  Every  Christian  also  admits,  that  no  one  can 
be  saved  who  does  not  aim   at  perfection.     Now 
to  aim  at  this  state  with  the  belief  that  it  is  unat- 
tainable, is  an  absolute  impossibility.     To  aim  at 
the  accomplishment  of  an  object,  is  the  same  thing 
as  to  intend  to  accomplish  it.     How  can  a  man  in- 
tend to  do  that  which  he  regards  as  impracticable  ? 
Let  the  hunter,  for  example,  if  he  can,  point  his 
weapon  at  the  moon,  with  the  intention  of  hitting 
it.     He  will  find  the  formation  of  such  intention, 
with  his  present  belief  of  the  power  of  his  weapon, 


ATTAINABLE.  55 

and  the  distance  of  the  object,  an  impossibility. 
Has  God  required  the  Christian,  upon  pain  of  his 
eternal  displeasure,  to  aim  at  perfection  in  holiness, 
and  then  required  him  to  believe  a  certain  fact,  the 
belief  of  which  renders  the  formation  of  that  inten- 
tion an  impossibility  ?  Who  can  believe  it  ?  The 
principle  before  us,  no  one,  I  believe,  at  all  ac- 
quainted with  the  laws  of  mind,  will  deny.  What- 
ever a  man  regards  as  impracticable,  or  thinks  it 
absolutely  certain  that  he  never  will  perform,  the 
changeless  laws  of  mind  render  it  impossible  for 
him  to  aim  at,  or  intend  to  perform.  How  can  a 
man  throw  a  stone  at  the  sun,  aiming  or  intending 
to  hit  the  sun?  An  individual  is  shooting  at  a 
mark,  with  the  full  belief  that  no  man,  whatever 
his  natural  powers  may  be,  ever  did  or  ever  will 
hit  that  mark.  It  is  an  absolute  impossibility  that 
he  ever  should,  with  that  belief,  intend  to  hit  it. 
For  the  same  reason,  while  a  man  regards  perfec- 
tion in  holiness  as  impracticable,  while  he  believes 
that  no  man  ever  did  or  ever  will  in  this  life  at- 
tain to  that  state,  and  that  it  is  criminal  to  suppose 
the  opposite,  to  aim  at  perfection  in  holiness,  or  to 
intend  to  be  perfectly  holy,  is  then  an  absolute  im- 
possibility. Now  the  church  universally  affirms, 
and  ministers  every  where  preach  the  same  thing, 
that  no  one  can  be  a  Christian  who  does  not  aim 
at  perfection  in  holiness,  or  intend  to  be  perfectly 


56  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

holy.  The  church  and  the  ministry,  then,  almost 
as  universally,  hold  it  criminal  for  any  man  not  to 
believe  a  certain  fact,  to  wit,  that  such  perfection 
is  unattainable,  the  belief  of  which  fact  renders  the 
existence  of  such  intention  an  absolute  impossibili- 
'ty.  "  Thus  have  ye  made  void  the  law  of  God 
by  your  traditions."  If  a  man  must  aim  at  perfec- 
tion in  holiness  or  he  cannot  be  saved,  he  must 
theoretically  or  practically  believe  that  such  per- 
fection is  practicable,  or  he  cannot  be  saved. 

XIII.  As  a  final  argument  in  favor  of  the  truth 
of  the  doctrine  under  consideration,  I  notice  the  ab- 
surdity of  the  common  supposition,  that  the  Chris- 
tian is  always  perfectly  sanctified  at,  or  a  few  min- 
utes before  death,  and  never  at  an  earlier  period. 
Two  considerations  will  place  the  absurdity  of  this 
supposition  in  its  proper  light.  1st.  The  grace 
which  sanctifies  the  believer  amid  the  gloom  and 
wreck  and  distraction  of  dissolving  nature,  would, 
if  applied,  have  sanctified  him  at  an  earlier  period. 
2d.  No  other  reason  can  be  assigned  for  this  grace 
being  thus  withheld,  but  the  supposition  that  God 
can  be  better  glorified,  and  his  kingdom  better  ad- 
vanced by  saints  partially,  than  wholly  consecra- 
ted to  their  sacred  calling.  Where  is  the  founda- 
tion for  such  an  absurdity  in  the  Bible  ? 

Some  objections  to  the  interpretation  which  has 


ATTAINABLE.  57 

been  given  to  the  various  passages  cited  in  this 
discourse,  demand  a  passing  notice. 

I.  The  fact,  it  is  said,  that  provision  is  made  in 
the  gospel  for  the  entire  sanctification  of  Chris- 
tians, that  this  state  is  promised  to  them  in  the 
new  covenant,  on  condition  of  their  faith,  and  that 
in  view  of  these  provisions  and  promises,  perfect 
holiness  is  required  of  them,  proves  merely  that 
such  a  state  is  attainable,  but  not  that  it  is  actually 
attained.  I  reply, 

1.  That  my  object  in  citing  such  passages  has 
been,  not  to  show  Christians  what  they  are,  but 
what  they  may  become ;  and  thus  to  lay  the  foun- 
dation for  the  exercise  of  that  faith,  by  which  they 
may  come  into  the  full  possession  of  all  the  "  riches 
of  Christ's  inheritance  in  the  saints." 

2.  The  manner  in  which  the  sacred  writers  have 
presented  the  provisions,  promises  and  commands 
of  the  gospel,  demonstrates  the  fact,  that  they  did 
expect  Christians  to  "cleanse  themselves  from  all 
filthiness  of  the  flesh  and  spirit,  and  perfect  holi- 
ness in  the  jear  of  God;"  an  expectation  precisely 
the  opposite  of  what  is  now  commonly  entertained 
upon  the  same  subject. 

3.  The  supposition,  that  such  men  as  Paul,  for 
example,  knew  that  provision  was  made  in  the 
gospel  for  their  entire  sanctification,  that  it  was 

4 


58  CHRISTIAN   PERFECTION. 

promised  to  them  in  the  new  covenant,  and  requir- 
ed of  them  as  Christians,  the  supposition,  I  say, 
that  they  knew,  that  by  simply  trusting  Christ  for 
this  blessing,  they  could  enjoy  it,  and  yet  withheld 
the  faith  necessary  to  its  attainment,  is  absolutely 
incredible.  It  is  to  suppose,  that  they  lived  in  the 
habitual  and  allowed  indulgence  of  known  sin. 
The  same  remark  is  equally  applicable  to  real 
Christians  of  every  age.  When  they  know  their 
privileges,  they  .will  avail  themselves  of  them. 
That  they  may  know  their  privileges,  and  thus 
"  come  out  of  darkness  into  God's  marvellous 
light,"  is  the  great  object  of  this  work,  and  of  all 
my  prayers  and  efforts. 

II.  The  prayer  of  Christ  recorded  in  John 
xvii.  20 — 23,  it  is  objected,  is  put  up  in  behalf  of 
all  Christians  without  distinction ;  and  this  prayer, 
in  all  its  fullness,  must  be  answered  in  the  expe- 
rience of  each  Christian,  or  Christ  prayed  in  vain. 
In  other  words,  according  to  this  objection,  the 
union  now  existing  among  Christians,  is  all  that 
is  implied  in  such  language  as  the  following :  "  That 
they  all  may  be  one,  as  thou,  Father,  art  in  me, 
and  I  in  thee,"  that  "  they  may^be  one  in  us," 
that  "  they  may  be  made  perfect  in  one ;"  and  the 
effects  produced  by  this  union  is  all  that  is  meant 
by  the  phrases,  "  that  the  world  may  believe,"  and 


ATTAINABLE.  59 

c;  that  the  world  may  know," — "  that  thou  hast 
sent  me." 

In  reply,  I  remark — 

1.  That  the  supposition  that  the  union,  or  rather 
the  disunion  now  existing  among  Christians,  pre* 
sents  a  full  reflection  of  all  that  is  implied  in  the 
language  above  referred  to,  renders  the  Bible  the 
most  unmeaning  book  that  ever  was  written. 

2.  The  supposition  that  Christ  prayed  for  any 
higher  union  than  now  exists,  involves  all  the  diffi- 
culties,  embraced    in    the   supposition    that    he 
prayed  for  a  perfect  union.     In  both  instances  alike, 
according   to  the    above  objection,  he  prayed  in 
vain. 

3.  If   Christ  did  not  here  pray  for  a  perfect 
union  among  Christians,  and  consequently  for  their 
entire  sanctification,  it   is  absolutely  beyond  the 
power  of  language  to  express  such  a  prayer. 

4.  Christ  here  pra^s  as  the  Mediator  of  the 
new  covenant,  and  when  the  Church  comes  to  her 
Mediator,  in  faith,  for  an  answer  to  this  prayer, 
and  the  day  is  no  doubt  near  when  she  will  do  it, 
this   prayer,    in  all    its  .blessed  fullness,  will  be 
answered. 

III.  It  is  further  objected,  that  no  particular 
time  is  specified  when  the  prayer  of  Christ,  and  the 
promises  of  the  new  covenant,  fee.  are  to  be  ful- 


60  CHRISTIAN   PERFECTION. 

filled ;  consequently,  they  do  not  prove  the  attaina- 
bleness  of  entire  sanctification  in  this  life.  I 
reply — 

1.  In  some  of  the  promises,  the  time  of  their 
fulfilment   is   definitely   specified.     For  example, 
1  Thess.  v.  23.     When  can  our  "  whole  spirit,  and 
soul,  and  body,  he  preserved  blameless  unto  the 
coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  if  not  in  this 
life? 

2.  If  no  time  were  specified,  we  should  involve 
ourselves  in  infinite  guilt,  were  we  to  "  limit  the  Holy 
One,"  by  fixing  the  time,  at  or  subsequent  to  the 
hour  of  death.     Such  a  limitation  of  the  promises 
sanctions  those  principles  of  interpretation  by  which 
the  worst   forms  of  error  are  sustained  from  the 
Bible.     Take,  for  example,  the  passage,  "With- 
out holiness  no  man  shall  see  the  Lord."     True, 
says  the  Universalist,  and  all  men  will  be  holy  in 
eternity.     Shall  we  sanction  such  a  principle  by  our 
manner  of  limiting  the  application  of  the  exceed- 
ing great  and  precious  promises  of  divine  grace  ? 

I  close  this  discourse  with  a  few  brief  reflec- 
tions. 

1 .  We  are  now  prepared  for  a  distinct  survey  of 
the  foundation  on  which  the  doctrine  under  consid- 
eration rests ; — a  doctrine  upheld  by  the  declared 
provisions  and  promises  of  the  gospel ;  a  doctrine 


ATTAINABLE.  61 

sustained  by  the  prayer  of  Christ  as  the  Mediator 
of  the  new  covenant,  and  by  "  the  prayers  of  the 
saints/'  as  dictated  by  him  and  by  the  spirit  of 
grace ;  a  doctrine  which  so  perfectly  corresponds 
with  what  God  requires  of  us  as  Christians,  and 
with  all  that  inspired  apostles  and  prophets  taught 
and  wrote  upon  the  subject.  Upon  what  foundation 
does  such  a  doctrine  rest,  but  upon  the  "  Rock  of 
Ages?" 

2.  We  see  the  reason  of  the  aspect  of  living 
death  which  the  Church  now  presents  to  the  world. 
It  is  simply  this  :  She  is  in  a  state  of  unbelief  in 
respect  to  the  nature  and  extent  of  the  provisions 
and  promises  of  divine  grace. 

3.  We  see  when  it  is,  that  the  Church  will 
realize    in    her  own  experience,    the   fulfilment 
of  the  promises  of  the  new  covenant.     1.  When 
she  becomes  fully  aware  of  the  nature  and  ex- 
tent of  these   promises.      2.  When   the   condi- 
tions are  fulfilled  by  her  on  which  the  fulfilment 
of  these   promises    rests    as   recorded  in   Ezek. 
xxxvi.  37 ;  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord  God  ;  1  will  yet 
for  this  be  inquired  of  by  the  house  of  Israel,  to 
do  this  thing  for  them."     When  this  is  done,  and 
the  time  is   near,  I  believe,  when  it  will  be  done, 
there  will  then  exist  upon  earth,  "  a  holy  genera-, 
tion,  a  royal  priesthood  and  a  peculiar  people." 

4.  Christian  brother,  suppose,  that  in  view  of  all 


62  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

the  facts,  arguments,  and  divine  declarations,  which 
have  now  been  spread  before  you,  you  should  ap- 
proach your  Redeemer  with  holy  boldness,  confi- 
dently expecting  that  his  "  blood  shall  cleanse  you 
from  all  sin  " — "  that  the  very  God  of  peace  shall 
sanctify  you  wholly,  arid  preserve  your  whole 
spirit,  and  soul,  and  body,  blameless  to  the  coming 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  would  that  Redeemer, 
think  you,  frown  you  from  his  presence,  for  having 
asked  and  expected  more  than  he  himself  has  au- 
thorized you  to  ask  and  expect  ?  On  the  other 
hand, should  you  refuse  to  "open  your  mouth  thus 
wide,"  would  he  not  charge  it  to  your  unbelief, 
and  would  he  not  marvel  at  that  unbelief? 


DISCOURSE   III. 


OBJECTIONS  ANSWERED. 

"  Nicodemus  answered  and  said  unto  him,  How  can  these 
things  be  ? 

"  Jesus  answered,  and  said  unto  him,  Art  thou  a  master  of 
Israel,  and  knowest  not  these  things?" — John  iii.  9,  10. 

The  evidence  by  which  the  attainableness  of  a 
state  of  entire  sanctification  in  this  life  is  sustained, 
is  now,  to  some  extent,  before  the  reader's  mind, 
as  the  subject  presents  itself  to  my  own.  Notwith- 
standing the  abundance  and  force  of  the  evidence, 
some  may  still  be  disposed  to  ask,  How  can 
these  things  be?  Are  there  not  many  passages  of 
Scripture  which  positively  contradict  this  doctrine  ; 
and  are  there  not  many  fundamental  objections 
against  it  ?  To  a  consideration  of  such  passages 
and  objections,  the  attention  of  the  reader  is  now 
invited. 

I.  We  will  first  consider  the  objections  drawn 
from  Scripture. 

I  begin  with  Romans  vii.  14 — 25.     (The  read- 


64  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

er  is  referred  to  the  Bible,  as  the  passage  is  too 
long  to  be  quoted  entire.)  The  bearing  of  this 
passage  upon  the  doctrine  under  consideration, 
depends  upon  the  question  whether  the  apostle  is 
here  describing  the  state  of  the  Christian  under 
the  gospel,  or  of  the  sinner  under  the  law,  and 
acted  upon  by  legal  motives  only.  In  favor  of  the 
first  supposition,  two,  and  only  two  considerations 
deserving  notice,  have,  to  my  knowledge,  been 
adduced. 

1.  The  present  tense  is  here  used;  "I  am 
carnal,"  &c.;  showing,  it  is  said,  that  the  apostle  is 
describing  his  present  character  as  a  Christian.  In 
answer  to  this,  I  remark,  1st.  That  it  is  perfectly 
common  for  the  sacred  writers  to  use  this  tense  in 
describing  not  only  past  but  future  events.  2cL 
The  present  tense  was  demanded  in  this  instance^ 
inasmuch  as  the  design  of  the  apostle  is  to  describe 
his  own,  and  the  state  of  every  other  person,  under 
the  exclusive  action  of  legal  motives,  in  opposition 
to  their  state  under  the  gospel.  Under  the  formery 
he  says,  "  I  am,"  (and  of  course  every  other  man 
is,)  "carnal,  sold  [a  bond  slave]  under  sin." 
Under  the  latter,  chap.  viii.  2,  "  I  am  free  from 
the  law  of  sin  and  death."  Thus  said  Whitefieldy 
as  a  drunkard  was  reeling  before  him,  "There  is 
George  Whitefield,  but  for  the  grace  of  God." 
Supposing  the  apostle  here  to  be  describing  his- 


OBJECTIONS    ANSWEREJ>.  65 

state  as  a  sinner  under  the  law,  the  present  tense  is 
demanded  just  as  much  as  if  he  were  describing 
his  state  as  a  Christian. 

2.  The  language  used  by  the  apostle  in  this 
passage,  it  is  said,  is  applicable  to  the  Christian 
only.  For  example,  "  I  delight  in  the  law  of  God 
after  the  inward  man."  "  That  which  I  do,  I 
allow  not."  "  What  I  hate,  that  I  do,"  &c.  To 
this  I  answer,  1st.  That  language  equally  strong  is 
applied  to  the  sinner  in  other  parts  of  the  Bible. 
Ezek.  xxxiii.  32,  "And  lo !  thou  art  unto  them  as 
a  very  lovely  song  of  one  that  hath  a  pleasant  voice, 
and  can  play  well  on  an  instrument :  for  they  hear 
thy  words,  but  they  do  them  not ;"  Isaiah  Iviii. 
2,  "  Yet  ye  seek  me  daily,  and  delight  to  know 
my  ways,  as  a  nation  that  did  righteousness,  and 
forsook  not  the  ordinances  of  their  God  :  they  ask 
of  me  the  ordinances  of  justice;  they  take  delight 
in  approaching  to  God."  John  v.  35,  "  He  was 
a  burning  and  a  shining  light ;  and  ye  were  willing 
for  a  season  to  rejoice  in  his  light."  Rom.  ii.  17, 
18,  "  Behold  thou  art  called  a  Jew,  and  restest  in 
the  law,  and  makest  thy  boast  of  God,  and  knowest 
his  will,  and  approves!  the  things  that  are  more 
excellent,  being  instructed  out  of  the  law."  Many 
other  passages  of  similar  import  might  be  cited. 
With  what  propriety,  I  ask,  can  the  language  used 
in  Rom.  vii.  be  cited  as  proof,  that  the  sinner  can- 


66  CHRISTIAN   PERFECTION. 

not  there  be  referred  to,  when  language  equally 
strong  is  so  frequently  applied  to  him  in  other  parts 
of  the  Bible.  2d.  Precisely  similar  language  was 
at  this  time  in  common  use  among  the  heathen, 
and  by  them  applied  to  men  as  sinners.  "  He 
that  sins/'  says  one,  "  does  not  what  he  would, 
but  what  he  would  not,  that  he  does."  "  I  see 
the  good,"  says  another,  "  and  approve  it,  but  fol- 
low the  bad."  "  I  have  forgotten  none  of  the 
things  about  which  you  admonished  me,  but  al- 
though I  have  a  desire  to  do  them,  nature  strug- 
gles against  it."  "I  knew  that  it  was  becoming, 
but  me  miserable  !  I  could  not  do  it."  Such  is 
the  language  common  with  those  very  heathen 
converts  to  whom  the  apostle  was  writing,  and 
applied  by  them  to  sinners  as  such.  On  what 
principle,  I  ask,  is  it  asserted,  that  they  would  un- 
derstand this  language,  in  opposition  to  all  previous 
usage,  as  applicable  to  the  Christian  only. 

We  will  now  consider  a  few  of  the  reasons  in 
favor  of  the  supposition  that  the  sinner  under  the 
action  of  legal  influences,  and  not  the  Christian 
under  the  gospel,  is  the  subject  of  the  apostle's 
remarks  in  this  passage. 

1.  It  was  so  understood  by  the  entire  primi- 
tive Church  for  the  first  two  or  three  centuries 
after  the  epistle  was  written.  This,  none,  I  be- 
lieve, acquainted  with  the  records  of  the  primitive 


OBJECTIONS    ANSWERED.  67 

Church,  will  deny.  Did  the  entire  Church  who 
received  the  passage  directly  from  the  apostle, 
mistake  his  meaning? 

2.  The  supposition  that  the  Christian  is  here 
referred  to,  places  what  the  apostle  says  of  himself 
as  a  Christian  in  this  passage  and  elsewhere,  in  pal- 
pable and  irreconcilable  contradiction  to  eacli  other. 
In  the  state  here  described,  the  apostle  says  of 
himself,  "  I  am  carnal,  sold  under  sin/'  that  is,  a 
bond  slave  under  the  power  of  sin,  as  the  slave  is 
under  the  absolute  control  of  his  master.  We 
might  here  ask,  Is  this  the  Christian?  Again, 
"  The  good  that  I  would,"  i.  e.  approve,  "  I  do 
not,  but  the  evil  that  I  would  not,"  i.  e.  disapprove, 
"  that  I  do  ;"  "  I  find  then  a  law,"  an  invariable 
order  of  sequence,  for  such  only  is  law,  "  that 
when  I  would  do  good,  evil  is  present  with  me." 
Speaking  of  himself  as  a  Christian,  the  apostle 
says,  "  I  keep  my  body  under,  and  bring  it  into 
subjection."  Again,  "  The  life  that  I  now  live 
the  flesh,  I  live  by  faith  on  the  Son  of  God." 
Are  these  states  compatible?  Are  they  one  and 
the  same  ?  Again,  the  Christian  is  represented  in 
the  Bible  as  "overcoming  the  world."  The  in- 
dividual here  referred  to  is  invariably  overcome  by 
the  world.  Are  these  characters  identical? — 
Again,  in  the  state  here  described,  the  apostle 
declares  himself  to  be  in  "  captivity  to  the  law  of 


68  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

sin  and  death."  In  chap.  viii.  2,  he  says,  that  as  a 
Christian  he  is  free  from  that  very  law.  How  can 
an  individual  be  a  captive  under  a  law,  and  free  from 
that  law  at  one  and  the  same  time  ?  Once  more : 
In  the  state  here  referred  to,  the  apostle  says,  "  I 
am  carnal."  In  chap.  viii.  9,  he  declares  absolute- 
ly, that  every  real  Christian  is  "  not  in  the  flesh," 
that  is,  carnal,  "  but  in  the  spirit !  "  How  can 
these  states  be  identical ! 

3.  If  the  apostle  has  described  the  condition  of 
the  Christian  under  the  gospel,  in  the  passage  under 
consideration,  he  has  defeated  his  own  object,  by 
showing  that  the  gospel  is  equally  impotent  with 
the  law  in  producing  holiness  of  heart,  the  opposite 
of  which  he  designed  to  show.  The  law  convicts 
of  sin,  and  then  leaves  the  subject  in  bondage  under 
sin.  What  more  does  the  gospel,  if  the  Christian 
also  is  "  carnal,  sold  under  sin  ? " 

Well  might  the  Jew  ask,  in  view  of  such  a  pre- 
sentation of  the  power  of  the  gospel,  What  ad- 
vantage hath  the  Christian,  and  what  profit  is  there 
in  faith  in  Christ,  as  far  as  holiness  is  concerned  ? 
Do  the  "  motions  of  sin  which  are  by  the  law 
work  in  my  members  to  bring  forth  fruit  unto 
death?"  So  is  the  Christian,  by  the  same  in- 
fluence precisely,  "  brought  into  captivity  to  the 
law  of  sin,  which  is  in  his  members."  Am  I  in 
the  flesh?  The  Christian,  also  is  "carnal.*'  Am 


OBJECTIONS    ANSWERED.  69 

I  in  bondage  under  the  power  of  sin  ?  The  Chris- 
tian, also,  is  a  bond  slave,  "  sold  under  sin  ?  "  Do 
I  "  approve  of  the  things  which  are  more  excellent," 
and  delight  to  know  God  and  the  "  ordinances  of 
righteousness,"  and  at  the  same  time  remain  in  a 
state  of  disobedience  to  God?  The  Christian,  also, 
"  delights  in  the  law  of  the  Lord,  after  the  inward 
man,"  without  obeying  that  law.  "  The  good 
that  he  would  he  does  not;  but  the  evil  that  he 
would  not,  that  he  does."  How  could  the  apostle, 
by  such  a  train  of  reasoning  as  this,  convince  the 
Jew,  that  in  depending  upon  the  law  for  sanctifica- 
tion  as  well  as  for  justification,  he  was  as  a  sinner 
leaning  upon  a  broken  reed  ?  and  that  the  gospel 
alone  not  only  justifies  but  sanctifies  the  sinner  ? 

4.  The  apostle,  in  the  passage  before  us,  de- 
clares expressly  that  he  refers  to  his  state  as  a  sin- 
ner.    "  In  me,  that  is,  in  my  flesh,"  that  is,  in 
my  carnal  unrenewed  state,  "  dwelleth  no  good 
thing." 

5.  The  individual  here  described  is  by  the  apos- 
tle's own  showing,  totally  depraved.  Notwithstand- 
ing all  the  opposition  which  the  law  of  God  and 
the  law  of  his  mind  make  to  sin,  he  invariably 
practices  it,  on  all  occasions  and  under  all  circum- 
stances.    If  such  a  state  does  not  indicate  the  en- 
tire absence  of  holiness,  nothing  can  do  it.     The 
whole  matter  is  summed  up  by  the  apostle  in  verse 


70  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

25,  "So  then,  with  the  mind,  I  myself  serve 
the  law  of  God ;  but  with  the  flesh  the  law  of  sin." 
That  is,  in  the  language  of  Professor  Stuart, 
"  While  my  mind,  i.  e.  my  reason  and  conscience, 
takes  part  with  the  law  of  God  and  approves  its 
sanctions,  my  carnal  part  obtains  the  predominance, 
and  brings  me  into  a  state  of  condemnation  and 
ruin.  For  a  full  and  complete  illustration  of  the 
meaning  of  the  entire  passage,  the  reader  is  re- 
ferred to  the  commentary  of  Professor  Stuart. 

I  conclude,  then,  that  this  chapter,  as  it  refers  to 
another  subject,  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  ques- 
tion whether  entire  holiness  is  attainable  in  this 
life. 

Gal.  v.  17,  "  For  the  flesh  lusteth  against  the 
Spirit,  and  the  Spirit  against  the  flesh  ;  and  these 
are  contrary  one  to  the  other,  so  that  ye  cannot 
do  the  things  that  ye  would."  The  apostle  here 
gives  the  reason  for  the  declaration  found  in  the 
verse  preceding,  "  Walk  in  the  Spirit  and  ye  ,shall 
not  fulfil  the  lusts  of  the  flesh."  The  reason  as- 
signed is  this.  The  dictates  of  the  flesh  and  of 
the  spirit  are  in  contradiction  the  one  to  the 
other.  Obedience  to  one  excludes  subjection  to  the 
other.  Hence,  if  we  "walk  in  the  Spirit,"  we 
"  cannot  do  the  things  that  we  would,"  i.  e.  "  ful- 
fil the  lusts  of  the  flesh."  Strange  that  an  objec- 
tion to  the  doctrine  of  holiness  should  be  drawn 


OBJECTIONS    ANSWERED.  71 

from  this  passage,  which  when  rightly  understood, 
directly  asserts  the  doctrine  ;  unless  the  ground  is 
taken  that  obedience  to  the  command,  "walk  in 
the  Spirit,"  is  impracticable. 

The  common  explanation  of  the  passage  makes 
the  apostle  assign  the  strange  reason  for  the  de- 
claration, "  walk  in  the  Spirit  and  ye  shall  not  ful- 
fil the  lusts  of  the  flesh,"  that  as  the  flesh  and 
Spirit  are  contrary  the  one  to  the  other,  the  Chris- 
tian cannot  do  the  things  that  he  would,  i.  e.  can- 
not walk  in  the  Spirit. 

Phil.  iii.  12,  "  Not  as  though  I  had  already  at- 
tained, either  were  already  perfect."  On  this 
passage  I  remark,  1st.  From  a  comparison  of  this 
passage  with  the  phrase  in  verse  15,  "  Let  us 
therefore,  as  many  as  be  perfect," — it  is  evident 
the  apostle  considered  himself  in  one  sense  per- 
fect, and  in  another  imperfect.  Why  then  is  the 
inference  directly  drawn  that,  in  verse  12,  he  af- 
firms his  imperfection  in  holiness,  when  the  oppo- 
site conclusion  is  as  fully  sustained  by  verse  15? 
But  2d.  The  apostle,  as  is  perfectly  evident  from 
the  context,  is  not  here  speaking  of  sanctification 
at  all.  There  are  three  senses,  somewhat  differ- 
ing the  one  from  the  other,  in  which  the  verb, 
here  rendered  perfect,  as  well  as  the  adjective 
from  which  it  is  derived,  are  used  in  the  Bible. 
1.  To  designate  moral  perfection,  or  entire  sane- 


72  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

tification  in  holiness,  as  in  Mat.  v.  48  :  "  Be  ye 
therefore  perfect."  2.  Maturity  in  Christian 
knowledge  and  virtue,  1  Cor.  ii.  6,  "  We  speak 
wisdom  to  them  that  are  perfect.5'  3.  Exalta- 
tion to  a  state  of  reward  or  happiness  in  a  future 
world,  in  consequence  of  a  life  of  devotion  to  the 
divine  service  in  the  present  world.  Thus  in 
Heb.  ii,  10,  Christ,  as  the  Captain  of  our  salvation, 
is  said  to  have  been  made  "  perfect,"  that  is,  ad- 
vanced to  a  state  of  glory,  "  through  [or  on  ac- 
count of]  sufferings."  "Among  the  Greeks," 
says  Professor  Stuart,  speaking  upon  the  passage 
last  referred  to,  "  this  verb  was  employed  to  desig- 
nate the  condition  of  those  who,  having  run  in  the 
stadium  and  proved  to  be  victorious  in  the  contest, 
were  proclaimed  as  successful  combatants,  and  had 
the  honors  and  rewards  of  victory  bestowed  upon 
them."  Such  persons  were  said  to  be  perfect,  or 
to  have  been  perfected.  Now,  that  the  apostle 
uses  the  term  perfect  in  this  last  sense  exclusively, 
in  Phil,  iii,  12,  is  demonstrably  evident,  from  the 
fact  that  he  was  writing  to  Greeks,  and  uses  it 
with  reference  to  the  very  custom,  in  reference  to 
which  they  had  been  accustomed  to  use  the  term 
in  this  one  sense  only.  He  represented  himself  as 
running  in  a  race ;  but  not  as  yet  being  "  perfect ;" 
that  is,  as  not  having  been  advanced  to  a  state  of  glo- 
ry in  consequence  of  having  victoriously  finished  his 


UJ5JJCCTTONS    ANSWERED.  73 

course.  It  is  then,  in  reference  to  having  finished 
his  course  and  received  the  consequent  rewards, 
and  not  in  reference  to  mofal  perfection,  that  the 
apostle  uses  the  term  "  perfect "  in  the  passage 
under  consideration.  This  the  apostle  himself  di- 
rectly affirms.  He  uses  the  phrases,  "  not  as 
though  I  had  already  attained,  either  were  already 
perfect,"  and  "  I  count  not  myself  to  have  ap- 
prehended/' with  express  reference,  not  to  present 
holiness  at  all,  but  with  exclusive  respect  to  the 
"  resurrection  of  the  dead,"  and  "  the  prize  of  the 
high  calling  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus,"  i.  e.  to  the 
glory  and  blessedness  consequent  on  having  victori- 
ously finished  his  Christian  race.  Hence  Profes- 
sor Robinson,  in  his  Lexicon  on  the  New  Testa- 
ment, thus  explains  the  phrase  :  "  either  were  al- 
ready perfect."  "Not  as  though  I  had  already 
completed  my  course  and  arrived  at  the  goal,  so 
as  to  receive  the  prize."  In  respect  to  holiness,  an 
individual  who  is  running  the  Christian  race  is 
perfect,  who  puts  forth  his  entire  energies  in  that 
course.  In  respect  to  a  state  of  glory  and  bless^ 
edness,  he  is  perfect  when,  and  only  when,  he  has 
finished  his  course  and  received  the  consequent  re- 
ward. It  is  with  exclusive  reference  to  the  latter, 
and  not  to  the  former,  that  the  apostle  affirms, 
that  he  had  not  "  attained,  and  was  not  perfect." 
The  passage,  then,  has  no  reference  at  all  to  the 
5 


74  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

question,  whether  perfection  in  holiness  is  attaina- 
ble in  this  life. 

1  John  i.  8,  "  If  we  say  that  we  have  no  sin, 
we  deceive  ourselves,  and  the  truth  is  not  in  us." 
The  phrase,  "  have  no  sin,"  may  relate  to  our 
present  or  to  our  past  character.  Thus  when  a 
man  says,  "  I  am-  a  sinner,"  he  may  mean,  I  am 
now  actually  sinning,  or  I  have  sinned,  and  on  that 
account  sustain*  the  character  of  a  sinner.  In 
which  sense  dees  the  apostle  here  use  the  phrase, 
"  If  we  say  we  have  no  sin  ?"  Does  he  refer  to 
our  character  in  view  of  what  we  are  now  doing, 
or  of  what  we  have  done  in  past  time  ?  To  the 
latter,  I  argue,  for  the  following  reasons:  1st. 
The  denial  here  spoken  of  stands  opposed  to  the 
phrase  "  confessing  our  sins,"  in  the  following 
verse.  Confession  relates  to  past,  and  not  to  pre- 
sent sin ;  it  being  absolutely  impossible  for  a  per- 
son to  commit  a  sin,  repent  of  it,  and  confess  it,  at 
one  and  the  same  moment ;  which  must  be  the 
case  if  confession  relates  to  sins  which  we  are  now 
committing.  2d.  In  verse  10,  the  apostle  repeats 
the  thought  contained  in  the  phrase  under  consid- 
eration, in  a  manner  which  leaves  no  doubt  in  re- 
spect to  his  meaning ;  "  If  we  say  we  have  not 
sinned,  we  make  him  a  liar."  This  declaration  is 
added,  to  give  emphasis  to  the  affirmation,  "  If  we 


OBJECTIONS    ANSWERED.  75 

say  we  have  no  sin,  we  deceive  ourselves,"  and 
is  only  another  form  of  stating  the  same  thing. 
3d.  The  context  plainly  shows,  that  the  apostle 
is  speaking  of  another  thing,  altogether,  than  the 
question,  whether  a  man  ever  attains  to  a  state  of 
entire  holiness  in  this  life.  In  the  verse  preceding, 
he  says :  "  If  we  walk  in  the  light,  as  he  is  in  the 
light,  we  have  fellowship  one  with  another,  and 
the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  his  son  cleanseth  us  from 
all  sin."  He  then  adds,  "  If  we  say  we  have  no 
sin,"  [to  be  cleansed  from,  to  be  forgiven,]  that  is, 
if  we  deny  our  need  of  the  redemption  of  Christ, 
"  we  deceive  ourselves,  and  the  truth  is  not  in  us." 
Now,  what  class  of  persons  existed  at  the  time,  to 
whom  this  declaration  was  applicable  ?  I  answer, 
it  was  the  unconverted  Jew,  who  maintained,  that 
in  consequence  of  his  obedience  to  the  law  he  was 
free  from  all  sin,  and  did  not  need  the  redemption 
of  Christ.  Such  persons,  the  apostle  addresses  by 
saying,  If  we  deny  our  need  of  Christ's  redemp- 
tion, by  affirming  our  freedom  from  sin,  we  de- 
ceive ourselves ;  and  not  only  so,  by  saying  that 
"  we  have  not  sinned,"  i.  e.  affirming  that  "  we 
have  no  sin,"  we  also  make  God  a  liar.  The 
passage,  then,  refers  exclusively  to  sinners  who  deny 
their  need  of  Christ's  redemption,  by  saying  that 
they  "  have  not  sinned,"  and  not  to  such  men  as 
John  Wesley  and  James  B.  Taylor,  who  believed, 


76  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

that,  by  the  grace  of  Christ  applied  to  "  cleanse 
them  from  all  sin,"  they  had  "  been  made  perfect 
in  love."  To  be  made  thus  perfect,  is  what  we 
are  here  taught  to  expect,  as  the  consequence  of 
"walking  in  the  light,"  and  "confessing  our  sins." 
The  passage  then,  instead  of  contradicting  the  doc- 
trine under  consideration,  when  rightly  explained, 
altogether  favors  the  doctrine.  What  else  can  be 
the  meaning  of  the  declarations,  "  If  we  walk  in 
the  light,  as  he  is  in  the  light,  we  have  fellowship 
one  with  another,  and  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ 
his  son  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin?  "  Also,  "  If  we 
confess  our  sins,  he  is  faithful  and  just  to  forgive 
our  sins,  and  to  cleanse  us  from  all  unrighteous- 
ness." 

James  iii.  2,  "  In  many  things  we  offend  all." 
Here  it  is  said,  we  have  the  positive  testimony  of 
inspiration,  that  in  many  respects  all  Christians 
sin.  If  so,  the  doctrine  under  consideration  must 
be  given  up  of  course.  But  what  is  the  meaning 
of  the  above  declaration  ?  To  answer  this,  it  is 
necessary  to  explain  the  verse  preceding.  "  My 
brethren,  be  not  many  masters,  knowing  that  we 
shall  receive  the  greater  condemnation."  The 
term  masters  may  mean  simply  religious  teachers, 
or  it  may  mean  slanderers,  or  critics  on  the  man- 
ners and  morals  of  others.  The  Greeks  and  Ro- 
mans, as  Calvin  remarks,  in  speaking  upon  the  term, 


OBJECTIONS    ANSWERED.  77 

"were  at  that  time  accustomed  to  call  persons  of 
the  class  last  mentioned,  masters,  because  they  set 
themselves  up  as  masters  in  morals."  In  this  sense, 
not  only  Calvin,  but  Schleusner  explains  the  term. 
It  is  used  in  the  same  sense  as  the  term  "judge  " 
is  in  Matt.  vii.  1,  the  same  identical  sin  being  pro- 
hibited in  the  phrase,  "  judge  not,"  as  in  the  pro- 
hibition, "Be  not  many  masters."  That  the 
term  masters  is  to  be  understood,  in  this  passage; 
in  this  sense,  as  designating,  not  religious  teach- 
ers, but  slanderers,  or  critics  on  the  manners  of 
others,  I  argue,  1st.  From  the  fact,  that  the 
abuse  of  the  tongue,  is  the  exclusive  subject  of  dis- 
course, in  the  whole  passage  with  which  the  term 
is  connected.  2d.  The  apostle  declares,  abso- 
lutely, that  if  we  are  "  masters,"  we  shall  receive 
greater  condemnation,  which  is  only  conditionally 
true  of  religious  teachers,  that  is,  if  they  sim 
The  apostle,  as  Calvin  observes,  forbids  "that 
there  should  be  many  masters,"  because  many  are 
every  where  disposed  to  rush  into  this  business. 
Understanding  the  term  "  masters,"  here  in  this^ 
its  true  sense,  the  declaration  "  in  many  things 
we  offend  all,"  may  be  readily  explained. — It 
contains  the  reason  why  "  we  shall,"  if  we  are 
"masters,"  "receive  the  greater  condemnation." 
The  reason  is  this, — as  masters  "  we  all  offend  in 
many  things,"  that  is,  are  great  offenders.  The  term 


78  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

"polla,"  here  rendered  "many  things,"  is  often 
used  adverbially  in  the  Bible,  as  explained  above. 
Thus  the  apostle  says,  "  I  wept  much"  Again, 
"  He  straitly  charged  them,"  i.  e.  earnestly.  "And 
he  besought  him  much"  "  I  greatly  desired  him 
to  come  to  you."  In  all  these  passages,  the  term 
rendered  "  many  things  "  in  the  passage  under 
consideration,  is  used.  Now,  when  the  apostle 
says,  that  "  we  all  offend  greatly,"  or  are  aggra- 
vated offenders,  he  does  not  affirm  this  of  us  all 
as  Christians,  but  as  masters ;  just  as  in  the  phrase 
"  we  shall  receive  greater  condemnation,"  he  af- 
firms that  as  masters,  and  not  as  Christians,  we 
shall  be  thus  condemned.  If  we  are  masters,  we 
are  to  receive  greater  condemnation ;  because  we 
then  are  aggravated  offenders;  the  only  reason 
conceivable  why  we  should  be  thus  condemned. 

The  common  explanation  of  the  passage  makes 
the  apostle  render  the  strangest  reason  conceivable, 
for  the  fact  that  masters  "  will  receive  the  greater 
condemnation,"  to  wit,  that  all  men  sin  in  many 
things.  How  does  the  fact,  that  all  men  sin  in 
many  things,  prove,  that  those  who  are  guilty  of 
particular  sins  shall  receive  severer  punishment 
than  others?  Or  that  religious  teachers  even,  if 
they  sin,  will  be  thus  punished  ?  Suppose  a  per- 
son should  reason  in  a  similar  manner  in  respect 
to  any  other  crime,  murder  for  example.  "All 


OBJECTIONS    ANSWERED.  79 

men  sin  in  many  things.  Therefore  the  murderer 
shall  receive  the  greater  condemnation."  This 
would  be  just  as  reasonable,  as  in  reference  to  the 
sin  of  evil  speaking,  or  the  sins  of  religious  teach- 
ers. Further,  according  to  the  common  explana- 
tion of  the  passage,  "  masters "  are  to  be  pun- 
ished more  than  they  deserve.  Two  men,  we 
will  suppose,  commit  to-day  the  same  sin.  One 
immediately  dies  without  repentance.  The  other 
subsequently  becomes  a  "  master,"  or  slanderer. 
The  former,  according  to  the  Bible,  will  be  pun- 
ished for  that  sin,  all  that  it  deserves.  The  latter, 
according  to  the  present  explanation  of  the  pas- 
sage, is  for  that  identical  sin  to  receive  still  "great- 
er condemnation,"  i.  e.  to  receive  greater  punish- 
ment than  the  sin  deserves.  The  meaning  of  the 
passage,  together  with  the  context,  may  be  thus 
expressed.  Do  not  multitudes  of  you,  my  breth- 
ren, be  "masters"  or  slanderers.  -If  we  are,  we 
shall  receive  greater  condemnation ;  because,  in 
that  case,  we  all  offend  in  many  things,  that  is, 
are  aggravated  offenders.  On  the  other  hand, 
"  if  any  man  offend  not  in  word,  the  same  is  a  per- 
fect man."  The  object  of  the  apostle  is,  to  con- 
trast our  character  and  prospects  as  "masters," 
with  our  state,  when  our  tongue  is  subject  to 
the  law  of  love.  In  the  former  case  we  are  to 
"receive  greater  condemnation,"  because  we  are 


80  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

then  all  of  us  great  offenders.  In  the  latter,  we 
are  perfect.  Nothing,  then,  was  farther  from  the 
intention  of  the  sacred  writer,  than  the  design  of 
denying  the  doctrine  of  holiness,  as  maintained  in 
these  discourses. 

Matt.  vi.  12,  "And  forgive  our  debts,  as  we  for- 
give our  debtors."  From  the  fact,  that  this  peti- 
tion is  found  in  the  Lord's  prayer,  it  is  argued,  that 
Christians  will  always  have  sins  to  confess,  or  will 
never  arrive  at  a  state  of  perfect  holiness  in  this  life. 
This  principle,  if  admitted,  would  prove  that  the 
kingdom  of  God  will  never  come,  and  that  the  Chris- 
tian will  never  be  in  a  state  in  this  life  in  which  he 
will  not  be  subject  to  injuries  from  others.  The 
time  will  arrive,  when  the  kingdom  of  God  will 
have  come,  and  when  "  they  will  not  hurt  nor  de- 
stroy in  all  God's  holy  mountain."  At  that  time  the 
above  petitions  will  be  inappropriate ;  because  the 
prayers  of  all  the  saints  in  this  respect  will  have 
been  fully  answered.  So  of  the  petition  under 
consideration.  The  Saviour  says,  "After  this 
MANNER,  pray  ye ;"  that  is,  if  ye  have,  among 
other  things,  sins  to  confess,  confess  them  in  this 
manner.  It  was  no  part  of  his  design,  to  affirm 
or  deny  that  we  shall  ever  be  in  a  state  in  which 
our  "  heart  will  not  condemn  us." 

Heb.  xii.  6 :  "  Whom  the  Lord  loveth  he  chas- 
teneth,  and  scourgeth  every  son  whom  he  receiv- 


OBJECTIONS    ANSWERED.  81 

eth."  From  the  fact,  that  all  Christians  are 
chastened  of  God,  it  is  inferred,  that  they  never 
become  perfect  in  holiness  in  this  life;  because 
they  would  not  then  need  chastisement.  I  reply, 
that  the  case  of  the  earthly  parent,  cited  by  the 
apostle  to  illustrate  his  meaning,  proves  precisely 
the  opposite  of  what  the  objection  supposes.  An 
earthly  parent  induces  obedience  in  his  child  by 
the  rod,  but  the  rod,  properly  applied,  Brings  the 
child  into  a  state  in  which  the  rod  is  no  more 
needed.  So  of  the  rod  in  the  hand  of  our  heav- 
enly Father.  Its  object  is  to  render  us  "  parta- 
kers of  his  holiness."  Till  this  end  is  accom- 
plished, the  rod  will  be  used.  When  this  end  is 
accomplished,  it  will  no  longer  be  needed.  That 
the  Christian  will  never  come  into  this  state,  in 
this  life,  it  was  no  part  of  the  apostle's  object  to 
affirm. 

These  are  all  the  passages  that  I  have  met  with 
from  the  New  Testament,  which  have  been  sup- 
posed to  deny  the  doctrine  under  consideration. 
A  very  few  passing  remarks  are  called  for,  upon 
certain  passages  in  the  Old  Testament,  which  are 
commonly  adduced  for  the  same  object  as  the  pas- 
sages noticed  above.  Two  preliminary  observa- 
tions are  deemed  requisite  to  a  correct  understand- 
ing of  these  passages,  in  respect  to  the  subject 
before  us. 


82  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

1.  Whatever  is  said  of  the  character  of  saints, 
under  the  old  dispensation,  cannot  be  applied  to 
Christians  under  the  new,  unless  such  application 
was  manifestly  intended  by  the  sacred  writer.    The 
ancient   saints,  we   are   told,  "  received  not   the 
promises,  God  having  reserved  some  better  things 
for  us,  that  they  without  us  should  not  be  made 
perfect." 

2.  When  the  sacred  writers  would  express  a 
fact  which  is  true  of  the  majority  of  men,  though 
not  of  every  individual,  they  make  use,  in  most 
instances,  of  universal  terms. 

One  example  will  illustrate  both  of  the  above 
principles.  Jer.  ix.  4,  "  Take  ye  heed  every  one 
of  his  neighbor,  and  trust  ye  not  in  any  brother ; 
for  every  brother  will  utterly  supplant,  and  every 
neighbor  will  walk  with  slanders/"'  Who  suppo- 
ses, that  this  passage  is  applicable  to  all  Chris- 
tians, or  even  to  real  saints,  at  the  time  the  prophet 
wrote, — to  the  prophet  himself,  for  example. 
Now,  in  the  light  of  this  example,  let  us  contem- 
plate two  similar  passages.  Eccl.  vii.  20,  "  For 
there  is  not  a  just  man  on  earth  that  doeth  good 
and  sinneth  not."  On  this  passage  I  remark,  1. 
If  it  is  to  be  understood  in  an  unlimited  sense,  no 
reason  can  be  assigned,  why  it  should  be  applied 
to  Christians  in  the  full  possession  of  the  blessings 
of  the  new  covenant.  It  was  made  with  refer- 


OBJECTIONS    ANSWERED.  83 

ence  to  men  in  the  state  then  present,  and  not  with 
reference  to  their  condition  under  an  entirely  dif- 
ferent dispensation.  2.  The  context  shows  that 
it  is  only  in  a  general,  and  not  in  an  unlimited 
sense,  that  this  passage  is  to  be  understood.  In 
the  verse  preceding,  the  writer  says,  "  Wisdom 
strengtheneth  the  wise  more  than  ten  mighty  men 
that  are  in  the  city."  We  are  here  exhorted  to 
use  prudence  in  our  transactions  with  men.  The 
reason  is  then  assigned,  "  There  is  not  a  just  man 
upon  earth  that  doeth  good  and  sinneth  not,"  i.  e. 
in  all  your  transactions  with  men,  act  upon  the 
prudential  maxim,  that  no  man  can  be  trusted. 
As  a  prudential  maxim,  the  declaration  under 
consideration  is  true, — true  not  in  a  universal,  but 
general  sense  ;  just  as  the  declaration  of  the  pro- 
phet, above  cited,  is  true  in  a  similar  sense.  In 
this  sense  only,  each  of  the  writers  under  conside- 
ration evidently  designed  to  be  understood. 

Again,  Prov.  xx.  9,  "  Who  can  say  I  have  made 
my  heart  clean,  I  am  pure  from  my  sin  ?"  The 
first  remark  upon  the  passage  last  cited  is  equally 
applicable  to  this.  The  true  meaning  of  this  pas- 
sage, however,  is,  in  my  judgment,  generally 
overlooked.  The  design  of  the  sacred  writer,  as  I 
suppose,  is  this ;  to  ask  the  question,  "  Who,  in 
looking  over  his  past  life,  can  deny  the  fact  that  he 
is  a  sinner,  and  is  clear  from  all  the  sin  charged 


84  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

upon  him.  When  an  individual,  in  the  language 
of  the  Bible,  would  affirm  his  innocency  of  any 
crime,  or  sin,  he  was  accustomed  to  affirm  that 
he  "  had  cleansed  his  hands,"  or  "  washed  them 
in  innocency,"  i.  e.  had  kept  himself  pure.  So  of 
the  sacred  writer,  in  the  passage  before  us.  "  Who 
can  say,  I  have  made  my  heart  clean,  I  am  pure  from 
my  sin  ;"  i.  e.  who  can  sayl  have  preserved  my  heart 
free  from  all  sin,  and  my  hands  from  all  the  iniqui- 
ty that  may  be  laid  to  my  charge  ?  This  question 
is  asked  with  reference  to  the  entire  past  life,  and 
not  with  reference  to  the  fact,  whether  any  individ- 
ual does,  at  any  period  of  life,  attain  to  a  state  of 
entire  sanctification. 

Job  ix.  20,  "  If  I  say,  1  am  perfect,  that  also 
will  prove  me  perverse."  How  does  this  declara- 
tion which  Job  applies  to  himself,  and  to  no  other 
person,  prove  that  all  other  saints,  and  Christians 
even,  are  imperfect ;  any  more  than  the  confession  of 
David  proves  that  all  are  guilty  of  adultery  ?  The 
inference  is  just  as  legitimate  in  one  case,  as  in  the 
other. 

1  Kings  viii.  46,  "If  they  sin  against  thee,  (for 
there  is  no  man  that  sinneth  not.")  This  passage, 
if  rightly  translated,  simply  affirms,  that  all  men  do, 
at  some  period  of  their  lives,  sin,  and  not  that  no 
man,  at  any  period,  arrives  at  a  state  of  entire  holi- 
ness. The  former,  and  not  the  latter,  is  the 


OBJECTIONS    ANSWERED.  85 

thought  that  would  naturally  suggest  itself  to  the 
speaker,  under  the  circumstances  in  which  he  was 
then  placed.  The  following  note,  from  the  Com- 
prehensive Bible,  shows  clearly  to  my  mind,  that 
a  different  rendering  should  have  been  given  to 
the  passage.  "  The  second  clause  of  this  verse,  as 
it  is  here  translated,  renders  this  supposition  in  the 
first  clause  entirely  nugatory ;  for  if  there  be  no 
man  that  sinneth  not,  it  is  useless  to  say,  If  they 
sin :  but  this  contradiction  is  removed  by  render- 
ing the  original,  "  If  they  shall  sin  against  thee, 
(for  there  is  no  man  that  may  not  sjn,")  i.  e.  there  is 
no  man  impeccable,  or  infallible  ;  none  that  is  not 
liable  to  sin.  In  the  conjugation  in  which  the  word 
is  here  found,  this  is  its  appropriate  meaning. 

The  imperfection  of  good  men,  whose  lives  are 
recorded  in  Scripture,  is  also  adduced  to  prove 
that  perfection  in  holiness  is  impracticable  in  this 
life.  In  reply,  I  remark,  that  all  that  is  recorded 
is  the  simple  fact,  that  such  men  were,  at  particu- 
lar times,  guilty  of  particular  sins.  How  does  this 
prove  that,  subsequently,  they  did  not  attain  to 
perfection  in  holiness?  How,  for  example,  does 
the  fact,  that  Paul  disputed  with  Barnabas,  the  only 
sin,  if  it  be  a  sin,  of  Paul's  Christian  life,  I  believe, 
on  record, — how  does  this  fact,  I  say,  prove,  that 
when  Paul  afterwards  said,  "The  life  which  I 
now  live  in  the  flesh,  I  live  by  faith  on  the  Son  of 


86  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

God,"   he  was  not   in  a  state  of  entire  sanctifi- 
cation  ? 

Having  noticed  all  the  objections  derived  from 
Scripture  to  the  doctrine  under  consideration,  it 
remains  to  notice  some  others  arising  from  the  sup- 
posed tendencies  of  the  doctrine  itself. 

I.  This  doctrine,  it  is  said,  is,  or  in  its  legitimate 
tendencies,  leads  to  Perfectionism.  If  any  indi- 
vidual will  point  out  any  thing  intrinsic  in  the  doc- 
trine here  maintained,  at  all  allied  to  that  error,  I, 
for  one,  will  be  among  the  first  to  abandon  the 
position  which  I  am  now  endeavoring  to  sustain. 
Perfectionism,  technically  so  called,  is,  in  my  judg- 
ment, in  the  native  and  necessary  tendencies  of  its 
principles,  worse  than  the  worst  form  of  infidelity. 
The  doctrine  of  holiness,  now  under  consideration, 
in  all  its  essential  features  and  elements,  stands  in 
direct  opposition  to  Perfectionism.  It  has  abso- 
lutely nothing  in  common  with  it,  but  a  few  terms 
derived  from  the  Bible. 

1.  Perfectionism,  for  example,  in  its  fundamen- 
tal principles,  is  the  abrogation  of  all  law.     The 
doctrine  of  holiness,  as  here  maintained,  is  perfect 
obedience  to  the  precepts  of  the  law.     It  is  the 
"  righteousness  of  the  law  fulfilled  in  us." 

2.  In  abrogating  the  moral  law,  as  a  rule  of  duty, 
Perfectionism   abrogates   all   obligation  of   every 


OBJECTIONS    ANSWERED.  87 

kind,  and  to  all  beings.  The  doctrine  of  holiness, 
as  here  maintained,  contemplates  the  Christian  as  a 
"  debtor  to  all  men,"  to  the  full  extent  of  his  ca- 
pacities, and  consists  in  a  perfect  discharge  of  all 
these  obligations — of  every  obligation  to  God  and 
man. 

3.  Perfectionism  is  a  "  rest "  which  suspends  all 
efforts  and  prayer,  even,  for  the  salvation  of  the 
world.     The  doctrine  of  holiness,  as  here  main- 
tained, consists  in  such  a  sympathy  with  the  love 
of  Christ,  as  constrains  the  subject  to  consecrate 
his  entire  being  to  the  glory  of  Christ  in  the  salva- 
tion of  men. 

4.  Perfectionism  substitutes  the  direct  teaching 
of  the  Spirit,  falsely  called,  in  the  place  of  the 
"  word."     This   expects   such   teachings  only  in 
the  diligent  study  of  the  word,  and  tries  every  doc- 
trine by  the  "  law  and  the  testimony," — "  the  law 
and  the  testimony  "  expounded  in  conformity  with 
the  legitimate  laws  of  interpretation. 

5.  Perfectionism  surrenders  up  the  soul  to  blind 
impulse,  assuming,  that  every  existing  desire  or 
impulse  is  caused  by  the  direct  agency  of  the  Spirit, 
and   therefore  to  be   gratified.     The  doctrine  of 
holiness,  as  here  maintained,  consists  in  the  subjec- 
tion of  all  our  powers  and  propensities  to  the  re- 
vealed will  of  God. 

6.  Perfectionism  abrogates  the  Sabbath,  and  all 


CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

the  ordinances  of  the  gospel,  and,  in  its  legitimate 
tendencies,  even  marriage  itself.  The  doctrine  of 
holiness,  as  here  maintained,  is  a  state  of  perfect 
moral  purity,  induced  and  perpetuated  by  a  careful 
observance  of  all  these  ordinances,  together  with 
subjection  to  other  influences  of  the  gospel,  re- 
ceived by  faith. 

7.  Perfectionism    renders,   in    its   fundamental 
principles,  all  perfection  an  impossibility.     If,  as 
this  system  maintains,  the  Christian  is  freed  from 
all  obligation,  is  bound  by  no  law — in  short,  if 
there  is  no  standard  with  which  to  compare  his 
actions,  and  there  is  none,  if  the  moral  law,  as  a 
rule  of  action,  is  abrogated,  moral  perfection  can 
no  more  be  predicated  of  the  Christian,  than  of  the 
horse,  the  ox,  or  the  ass.     The  doctrine  of  holi- 
ness, on  the  other  hand,  as  here  maintained,  con- 
templates the  moral  law  as  the  only  rule  and  standard 
of  the  moral  conduct,  and  consists  in  perfect  con- 
formity to  the  precepts  of  this  law. 

8.  Perfectionism,  in  short,  in  its  essential  ele- 
ments, is  the  perfection  of  licentiousness.     The 
doctrine  of  holiness,  as   here  maintained,  is   the 
perfect  and  perpetual  harmony  of  the  soul  with 
"  whatsoever  things  are  true,  whatsoever  things 
are  honest,"    "  just,"    "  pure,"   lovely,"    and   of 
"  good  report,"  and  if  there  be  any  virtue,  "  and 
if  there  be  any  praise,"  with  these  things  also. 


OBJECTIONS    ANSWERED.  89 

What  agreement,  then,  has  the  doctrine  of  ho- 
liness, as  here  maintained,  with  Perfectionism  ? 
The  same  that  light  has  with  darkness.  A  man 
might,  with  the  same  propriety,  affirm  that  I  am  a 
Unitarian,  because  I  believe  in  one  God,  while  I 
hang  my  whole  eternity  upon  the  doctrine  of  the 
Trinity,  as  to  affirm  that  I  am  a  Perfectionist,  be- 
cause I  hold  the  doctrine  of  holiness  as  now  pre- 
sented. 

II.  This  doctrine,  it  is  said,  will  lead  to  spiritual 
pride.  1  answer,  1.  An  individual  holding  the 
sentiment  under  consideration,  who  has  the  true 
standard  of  holiness  before  his  mind,  and  is  con- 
scious of  coming  "  short  of  the  glory  of  God," 
will  be  weighed  down  in  deep  humiliation  and  self- 
abasement,  under  the  conviction  that  he  not  only  is 
not  what  he  ought  to  be,  but  what  he  might 
become.  On  the  other  hand,  the  man  holding  the 
common  views,  will  be  greatly  comforted,  under  a 
consciousness  of  moral  imperfection,  with  the 
thought  that  he,  in  common  with  holy  Paul,  and 
David,  and  Isaiah,  and  all  the  purest  saints  that 
ever  lived,  through  the  "law  in  his  members  war- 
ring against  the  law  of  his  mind,  is  in  captivity 
unto  the  law  of  sin  and  death."  2.  If  an  individ- 
ual should  attain  to  a  state  of  entire  consecration 
to  Christ,  spiritual  pride  would,  of  course,  be 
6 


90  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

wholly  excluded.     I   shall   recur  to  this  subject 
again  in  a  subsequent  discourse. 

III.  It  is  further  objected,  that  the  belief  of  this 
doctrine  will  lead  individuals  to  suppose  themselves 
perfect,  when  they  are  not,  and  thus  leave  them  in 
delusions  fearfully  dangerous.     I  answer,  1.  This 
will  not  be  the  case,  if,  as  remarked  in  a  former 
discourse,  the  true  standard  of  holiness  be  kept 
before  the  mind.     2.  If  no  doctrine  is  to  be  pro- 
claimed which  hypocrites  will  abuse,  we  must  cer- 
tainly find  some  other  doctrine  than  this,  that  none 
are  entirely  sanctified  in  this  life. 

IV.  I  have  never  yet  seen  any  person  that  was 
perfect.     I  answer,  1.  The  reason  may  be,  and  I 
have  no  doubt  is,  the  unbelief  of  the  Church  in 
respect  to  the  nature  and  extent  of  the  provisions 
and   promises   of   divine    grace.     2.  If,  brother, 
your  confidence  in  the  provisions  and  promises  of 
divine  grace,  is  at  all  weakened,  or  your  judgment 
of  their  nature  and  extent  is  at  all  influenced  by 
the  actual  attainments  of  Christians  at  the  present 
time,  you  ought  to  know  that  your  faith  rests  upon 
"  things  seen,"   and  not  upon  the  word  of  God. 
Where  is  the  authority  for  determining  the  mean- 
ing of  God's  declarations  by  the  attainments  of 
those  who,  by  their  unbelief,  perhaps,  are  "  mak- 


OBJECTIONS    ANSWERED.  91 

ing  void  the  law  of  God?"  3.  The  objection 
under  consideration  lies  with  equal  force  against 
the  divine  declaration,  that  the  "  earth  shall  yet 
*be  full  of  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord  as  the  waters 
cover  the  sea."  No  such  event  has  ever  yet  taken 
place.  What  should  we  think  of  the  Christian,  who, 
for  this  reason,  should  affirm  that  such  an  event 
never  will  take  place  ?  The  question  hefore  us, 
is,  not  what  Christians  have  attained,  but  what 
God  has  promised. 


REMARKS. 

1 .  The  reader  is  now  prepared  to  determine  the 
fact,  where  the  weight  of  evidence  lies,  in  respect  to 
the  momentous  question,  Is  perfection  in  holiness 
attainable  in  this  life  ?  On  the  one  hand,  we  have 
a  long  array  of  divine  declarations  in  respect  to  the 
provisions  of  the  gospel  and  the  design  of  the  re- 
demption of  Christ.  We  have  also  a  similar  array 
of  "  exceeding  great  and  precious  promises,"  the 
meaning  of  which  cannot  easily  be  misapprehend- 
ed by  the  honest  inquirer  after  truth..  In  addi- 
tion to  all  these,  we  have  the  express  commands  of 
Scripture  addressed  to  us  as  Christians,  together 
with  the  prayer  of  Christ,  and  of  inspired  men, 
who  spake  and  prayed  as  they  were  "moved  by 
the  Holy  Ghost,"  all  bearing  upon  this  one  poinU 


92  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

On  the  other  hand,  we  have  a  small  number  of 
passages,  a  careful  analysis  of  which,  clearly  shows 
to  have  no  relevancy  to  the  subject  whatever, — 
passages,  the  most  important  of  which,  such,  for 
example,  as  Rom.  vii.j  Gal.  v.  17,  Phil.  iii.  12, 
and  1  John  i.  8,  have  long  since  been  given  up  as 
proof  texts  upon  this  subject^  by  many,  who  deny 
the  doctrine  maintained  in  these  discourses.  Under 
such  circumstances,  how  is  it  possible  for  us  to 
doubt,  not  only  where  the  weight  of  evidence,  but 
wiiere  the  truth,  lies  ? 

2.  Here,  also,  I  may  be  permitted  to  allude  to 
the  manifest  carelessness  with  which  the  Church 
generally  has  made  up  her  judgment  upon  the  doc- 
trine under  consideration,  and  to  the  necessity  of  a 
careful  and  prayerful  re-examination  of  the  whole 
subject.  In  reading  the  works  of  the  ablest  di- 
vines upon  this  subject,  I  have  been  forcibly  struck 
with  their  manner  of  treating  it,  as  indicating  the 
fact,  that  their  opinions  were  formed,  and  their 
proof  texts  selected,  almost  at  random,  without 
reference  to  fundamental  principles.  How  else 
can  we  account,  for  example,  for  the  strange  phe- 
nomenon, that  a  declaration,  which  Job  made  with 
exclusive  reference  to  himself,  has  been  so  univer- 
sally cited,  as  proof  that  the  man  who  embraces 
the  views  maintained  in  these  discourses  is  not  only 
deceived,  but  shows  himself,  by  the  sentiment 


OBJECTIONS    ANSWERED.  93 

which  he  has  embraced,  to  be  perverse.  How 
else  can  we  account  for  the  general  adoption  of  the 
maxim,  as  if  it  were  a  revealed  truth,  that,  if  a  man 
should  become  entirely  sanctified,  he  would  be 
taken  directly  to  heaven,  and  not  be  permitted  to 
live  on  earth  a  moment.  Sin,  or  at  least  some 
degree  of  it,  is  regarded  as  an  essential  element  of 
Christian  character,  as  a  life  preserver,  notwith- 
standing the  divine  declaration,  that  "he  that 
would  love  life  and  see  good  days,  must  refrain 
his  tongue  from  evil,  and  his  lips  that  they  speak 
no  guile,"  and  that  implicit  obedience  to  all  God's 
commandments  is  the  only  surety  for  long  life  ? 

3.  Permit  me,  in  conclusion,  to  allude  to  the 
state  of  mind  necessary  to  a  correct  investigation  of 
this  subject.  It  is  a  supreme  and  ardent  desire 
after  holiness,  and  a  knowledge  of  the  means  of 
attaining  it.  "  If  thine  eye  be  single,  thy  whole 
body  shall  be  full  of  light."  Without  this  state  of 
mind,  we  are  unprepared,  not  only  for  this,  but  for 
every  inquiry  in  respect  to  the  Scriptures. 

Reader,  is  this  your  state  ?  Is  the  inquiry  after 
the  way  of  holiness  the  great  and  absorbing  inqui- 
ry of  your  heart  ?  "  Blessed  are  they  that  hunger 
and  thirst  after  righteousness;  for  they  shall  be 
filled." 


DISCOURSE  IV. 


THE   NEW    COVENANT. 

"  Behold  the  day  is  come,  saith  the  Lord,  when  I  will 
make  a  new  covenant  with  the  house  of  Israel,  and  with  the 
house  of  Judah  ;  not  according  to  the  covenant  that  1  made 
with  their  fathers,  in  the  day  when  I  took  them  by  the  hand 
to  lead  them  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt;  because  they  contin- 
ued not  in  my  covenant,  and  I  regarded  them  not,  saith  the 
Lord.  For  this  is  the  covenant  that  I  will  make  with  the 
house  of  Israel,  after  those  days,  saith  the  Lord ;  I  will  put 
my  laws  into  their  mind,  and  write  them  in  their  hearts  ;  and 
will  be  to  them  a  God,  and  they  shall  be  to  me  a  people ;  and 
they  shall  not  teach  every  man  his  neighbor,  and  every  man 
his  brother,  saying,  Know  the  Lord  :  for  all  shall  know  me, 
from  the  least  to  the  greatest.  For  I  will  be  merciful  to  their 
unrighteousness,  and  their  sins  and  their  iniquities  will  I  re- 
member no  more.  In  that  he  saith,  a  new  covenant,  he  hath 
made  the  first  old."— Heb.  viti.  8—13. 

"And  to  Jesus,  the  Mediator  of  the  new  covenant." — Heb. 
xii.  24. 

The  great  difficulty  which  a  vast  majority  of 
Christians  feel,  in  respect  to  holy  living,  is  the 
want  of  the  constant  presence  and  influence  of  a 
filial,  affectionate,  confiding  and  obedient  spirit 


96  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

towards  God, — a  spirit  which  perpetually  cries, 
Abba,  Father,  and  consists  in  the  spontaneous  flow  of 
the  heart's  purest  and  best  affections  towards  Christ. 
If  the  mind  could  always  be  in  this  state,  how  easy 
it  would  be  to  avoid  all  sin,  and  perfectly  to  obey  all 
the  divine  requisitions.  This  spirit,  Christians  often 
resolve  to  cherish.  They  find  their  resolutions,  how- 
ever, wholly  inefficient  to  move  the  heart.  To  re- 
medy the  difficulty,  they  resort  to  their  Bibles  and  to 
prayer,  and  renew  their  resolutions  with  increasing 
earnestness.  Still  the  heart  remains  comparatively 
unmoved ;  and,  whatever  effect  is  produced  by 
such  means,  very  soon  passes  away,  "  like  the 
morning  cloud," — leaving  in  the  heart  the  same 
"  aching  void  "  as  before.  Now  while  the  Chris- 
tian is  thus  "  resolving  and  re-resolving,"  and 
constantly  sliding  back  to  the  cheerless  state  from 
which  he  started,  while;  in  spite  of  his  efforts,  he 
is  perpetually  sinking  deeper  and  deeper  in  the 
"  mire  and  deep  waters,"  suppose  the  divine 
Redeemer  should  pass  along,  and  say  to  his  weary 
and  desponding  disciple,  "  If  you  will  at  once  cease 
from  all  these  vain  efforts,  and  yield  yourself  up  to 
my  control,  relying  with  implicit  confidence  in  my 
ability  and  faithfulness,  I  will  enter  into  a  covenant 
with  you,  that  I  will  myself  shed  abroad  in  your 
heart,  that  "perfect  love  which  casteth  out  all 
fear," — that  filial  and  affectionate  spirit  which  you 


THE    NEW    COVENANT.  97 

have  vainly  endeavored  to  induce  in  your  own 
mind.  I  will  so  present  the  truth  to  your  appre- 
hension, that  your  heart's  purest  and  best  affections 
shall  constantly  and  spontaneously  flow  out  to- 
ward me.  I  will  secure  you  in  a  state  of  perfect 
and  perpetual  obedience  to  every  command  of 
God,  and  in  the  full  and  constant  fruition  of  his 
presence  and  love.  All  this  I  will  do  in  perfect 
consistency  with  the  full,  and  free,  and  uninterrupt- 
ed exercise  of  your  own  voluntary  agency."  Such 
a  message  would  be  to  the  believer,  "  afflicted, 
tossed  with  tempest,  and  not  comforted,"  as  life 
from  the  dead.  This,  Christian,  is  precisely  what 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  offers  to  do  for  you,  as  the 
Mediator  of  the  new  covenant.  With  the  Psalm- 
ist you  can  say,  "  I  will  run  in  the  way  of  thy 
commandments,  when  thou  shalt  enlarge  my 
heart."  Christ  is  now  ready  thus  to  enlarge  your 
heart,  that  under  the  spontaneous  flow  of  pure  and 
perfect  love,  you  may  do  the  whole  will  of  God. 
Till  your  faith  is  fastened  upon  Christ,  as  the  life 
and  light  of  the  soul, — as  the  "  quickening  spirit," 
who  alone  is  able  to  breathe  into  your  heart  the 
breath  of  spiritual  life,  all  your  efforts  after  holi- 
ness will  be  vain. 

My  object  in  the  present  discourse,  is  to  present 
to  your  contemplation  and  faith  this  new  covenant, 
and  Christ  as  the  Mediator  of  this  covenant.  In 


98  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

illustrating  this  subject,  the  attention  of  the  reader 
is  invited  to  a  consideration  of  the  following  propo- 
sitions : 

I.  The  nature  of  the  new  covenant,  as  distin- 
guished from  the  first,  or  the  old  covenant. 

II.  The  relation  of  these  two  covenants. 

III.  The  object  of  Christ  in  the  provisions  of 
divine  grace. 

IV.  The  conditions  on  which  he  will  fulfil  in 
us  what  he  has  promised  as  the  Mediator  of  the 
new  covenant. 

I.  The  nature  of  the  new  covenant,  as  distin- 
guished from  the  first  or  the  old  covenant. 

The  old  covenant,  as  was  shown  in  a  preceding 
discourse,  is  the  moral  law,  the  covenant  originally 
made  with  Adam,  re-announced  at  Mount  Sinai, 
and  which  now  exists  between  God  and  all  unfall- 
en  spirits. 

The  new  covenant,  on  the  other  hand,  is  the 
covenant  of  grace,  obscurely  disclosed  to  our  first 
parents,  in  the  promise,  "  the  seed  of  the  woman 
shall  bruise  the  serpent's  head,"  more  distinctly  un- 
folded in  the  promise  to  Abraham,  and  brought  out 
in  all  its  fulness  in  the  new  dispensation.  As  the 
Mediator  of  this  covenant,  Christ,  as  shown  in  the 
text  and  in  a  preceding  discourse,  promises  to  be- 
lievers, on  condition  of  their  faith  in  him,  the  fol- 


THE    NEW    COVENANT.  99 

lowing  blessings — 1 .  A  confirmed  state  of  pure  and 
perfect  holiness,  such  as  is  required  by  the  moral 
law.  2.  The  full  pardon  of  all  sin,  or  entire  justi- 
fication. 3.  The  perpetual  fruition  of  the  divine 
presence  and  favor.  4.  The  consequent  universal 
prevalence  of  the  gospel.  Such  are  the  "  riches 
of  Christ's  inheritance  in  the  saints."  Such  is  the 
"  completeness  of  the  saints  in  him,"  as  the  Me- 
diator of  the  new  covenant.  We  will  now, 

II.*  Consider  the  relations  of  these  two  cove- 
nants. This  subject  was  alluded  to  in  a  preceding 
discourse.  My  object  now  is,  to  present  the  whole 
subject  with  greater  distinctness  and  fulness  than  I 
then  could  do  for  the  want  of  space.  I  remark — 

1.  As  then  observed,  the  same  standard  of  char- 
acter, perfect  holiness,  is  common  to  each  of  these 
covenants. 

2.  In  the  first  covenant,  holiness  is  required  of 
the  creature.     In  the  new  covenant,  the  same  thing 
is  promised  to  the  believer. 

3.  The  condition  on  which  the  blessings  prom- 
ised under  the  first  covenant  are  secured,  is,  Do  and 
live.     "  Moses  describeth  the  righteousness  which 
is  of  the  law,  that  the  man  that  doeth  these  things 
shall  live  by  them."     The  condition  of  the  new 

*  Most  of  the  distinctions  here  made  between  the  two 
covenants,  were  suggested  to  my  mind  by  my  beloved  asso- 
ciate, Rev.  C.  G.  Finney. 


100  CHRISTIAN   PERFECTION. 

covenant  is,  Believe  and  live.  "  Now  the  just  shall 
live  by  faith."  "  But  the  righteousness,  which  is  of 
faith,  speaketh  on  this  wise,  Say  not  in  thine  heart, 
Who  shall  ascend  into  heaven  ?  (that  is,  to  bring 
Christ  down  from  above.)  Or,  Who  shall  descend 
into  the  deep  ?  (that  is,  to  bring  up  Christ  again 
from  the  dead.)  But  what  saith  it  ?  The  word 
is  nigh  thee,  even  in  thy  mouth,  and  in  thy  heart, 
that  is,  the  word  of  faith  which  we  preach.  That 
if  thou  shalt  confess  with  thy  mouth  the  Lord 
Jesus,  and  shalt  believe  in  thy  heart  that  God 
raised  him  from  the  dead,  thou  shalt  be  saved. 
For  with  the  heart  man  believeth  unto  righteous- 
ness ;  and  with  the  mouth  confession  is  made  unto 
salvation." 

4.  The  "  surety "  of  the  first  covenant  is  the 
creature  himself.     The  "  surety  "  of  the  new  cov- 
enant is  Christ.     In  other  words,  the  salvation  of  a 
creature  under  the  former  depends  upon  the  faith- 
fulness of  the  creature  himself.     The  salvation  of  a 
creature  under  the  latter  depends  upon  the  faithful- 
ness of  Christ.     Hence  Christ  is  said,  Heb.    v. 
22,  to  have  been  "  made  a  surety  of  a  better  testa- 
ment," [covenant.]     In  Heb.  viii.  6,  as  the  Media- 
tor of  the  new  covenant,  Christ  is  also  declared  to 
be  the  "  Mediator  of  a  better  covenant,  which  was 
established  upon  better  promises." 

5.  The  first  covenant  is  adapted  to  the  condition 


THE    NEW    COVENANT.  101 

of  creatures  only  who  have  never  sinned.  The 
new  covenant  is  adapted,  by  infinite  wisdom  and 
love,  to  the  condition  of  sinners  involved  in  infinite 
guilt,  and  hopelessly  lost,  as  far  as  any  efforts  of 
their  own  are  concerned,  under  the  power  of  sin. 

6.  The  exclusive  influence  of  the  first  covenant 
upon  sinners,  is  to  increase  their  guilt,  and  aggra- 
vate their  depravity.     The  new  covenant  redeems 
these  very  sinners  from  the  curse  of  the  law,  and 
"  delivers  them  from  the  bondage  of  corruption 
into  the  glorious  liberty  of  the  children  of  God." 
Hence  the  first  covenant  is  said  to    "  gender    to 
bondage,"  i.  e.  sinners  under  its  influence  are  left 
in   hopeless    bondage,  under  the  power   of  sin ; 
while  all  who  are  under  the  full  influence  of  the 
new  covenant,  are  free,  i.  e.  are  delivered  from  the 
power  of  sin,  and  introduced  into  a  state  of  purity 
and  blessedness,  Gal.  iv.  25,  26.  "  For  these  are 
the  two  covenants ;  the  one  from  the  Mount  Sinai, 
which  gendereth  to  bondage,  which  is  Agar.     For 
this  Agar  is  Mount  Sinai  in  Arabia,  and  answereth 
to  Jerusalem  which  now  is,  and  is  in  bondage  with 
her  children.     But  Jerusalem,  which  is  above,  is 
free,  which  is  the  mother  of  us  all." 

7.  The  first  covenant  is  a  dispensation  of  justice. 
The  new  is  a  dispensation  of  mercy,  under  the 
influence  of  which  the  sinner  is  brought  to  the 
"  blood  of  sprinkling  which  speaketh  better  things 


102  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

than  the  blood  of  Abel."  The  former  influences 
the  subject  by  commands  and  prohibitions,  rewards 
and  penalties ;  the  latter  subdues  and  melts  the 
heart  of  the  rebel  by  the  power  of  love. 

8.  Finally,  whatever  the  old  covenant,  or  the 
moral  law,  requires  of  the  creature,  the  new  cove- 
nant, as  shown  in  a  former  discourse,  promises  to 
the  believer.  The  first  covenant,  for  example, 
requires  of  the  creature  perfect  and  perpetual  holi- 
ness. The  new  covenant  promises  to  the  believer 
perfect  and  perpetual  holiness.  I  will  first  cite  a 
few  of  the  passages  quoted  in  that  discourse,  to  sus- 
tain the  above  declaration,  and  will  then  offer  some 
general  remarks  to  show,  that  the  construction  there 
put  upon  them  is  correct.  Jer.  xxxii.  39, 40 .  "And 
I  will  give  them  one  heart  and  one  way,  that  they 
may  fear  me  for  ever,  for  the  good  of  them  and  of 
their  children  after  them  ;  and  I  will  make  an  ever- 
lasting covenant  with  them,  that  I  will  not  turn 
from  them  to  do  them  good ;  but  I  will  put  my 
fear  in  their  hearts,  and  they  shall  not  depart  from 
me."  Ez.  xxxvi.  25.  Then  will  I  sprinkle  clean 
water  upon  you,  and  ye  shall  be  clean ;  from  all 
your  filthiness,  and  from  all  your  idols,  will  I  cleanse 
you.  A  new  heart,  also,  will  I  give  you,  and  a 
new  spirit  will  I  'put  within  you  ;  and  I  will  take 
the  stony  heart  out  of  your  flesh,  and  I  will  give 
you  a  heart  of  flesh.  And  I  will  put  my  spirit 


THE    NEW    COVENANT.  103 

within  you,  and  cause  you  to  walk  in  ray  statutes, 
and  ye  shall  keep  my  judgments  and  do  them." 
Deut.  xxx.  6.  "And  the  Lord  thy  God  will  cir- 
cumcise thy  heart,  and  the  heart  of  thy  seed,  to 
love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with 
all  thy  soul."  Jer.  1.  20.  "  In  those  days,  and  at 
that  time,  saith  the  Lord,  the  iniquity  of  Israel 
shall  be  sought  for,  and  there  shall  be  none ;  and 
the  sins  of  Judah,  and  they  shall  not  be  found." 
1  Thess.  v.  23,  24.  "And  the  very  God  of  peace 
sanctify  you  wholly  :  and  I  pray  God  your  whole 
spirit,  and  soul,  and  body,  be  preserved  blameless 
unto  the  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Faith- 
ful is  he  that  calleth  you,  who  also  will  do  it." 
That  Christ,  as  the  Mediator  of  the  new  covenant, 
does,  in  these  and  kindred  passages,  promise  to  the 
believer  all  that  the  law  requires  of  him,  will  ap- 
pear perfectly  evident  from  the  following  consider- 
ations. 

1.  This  sentiment  is  in  accordance  with  the 
most  direct  and  obvious  import  of  the  phraseology 
employed  in  such  passages, — that  meaning  I  refer 
to,  which  most  naturally  suggests  itself  to  plain  and 
unlettered  men,  reading  the  sacred  text  without 
note  or  comment,  and  with  the*ir  judgments  un- 
biassed by  pre-conceived  opinions.  For  such 
minds  the  Bible  was  written,  and  its  import  to 


104  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

them,  in  the  state  referred   to,  is  in  accordance 
with  the  "mind  of  the  Spirit." 

2.  This  is  the  construction  which  would,  by  all 
mankind,  be  put  upon  the  same  language,  if  found 
in  any  other  book  but  the  Bible. 

3.  Let  any  minister,  in  any  congregation  in  the 
land,  use  this  identical  language  in  the  same  full 
and  unqualified  manner  in  which  the  sacred  writers 
use  it,  and  their  hearers  will,  with  one  voice,  charge 
him  with  holding  the  doctrine  of  Christian  Perfec- 
tion, as  maintained  in  these  discourses  ;  so  obvious 
is  the  import  of  such  phraseology,  when  presented 
without  qualification. 

4.  All  Christians  admit  that  entire  justification 
is  promised  in  the  new  covenant,  that  the  Bible 
teaches  that  heaven  is  a  place  of  perfect  holiness, 
and  that  Christ  was  free  from  all  sin  while  on 
earth.     Now  the  same  identical  principles  of  inter- 
pretation, by  which  either  of  the  above  doctrines 
can  be  proved  from  the  language  of  the  Bible,  de- 
mand the  admission  of  the  doctrine  under  consid- 
eration, in  all  its  fulness.     If  the  language  employed 
in  the  above  passages,   does  not  sustain  this  doc- 
trine, neither  of  the  above  doctrines  can  be  sustain- 
ed by  the  language  of  inspiration.     Every  candid 
reader  of  the  Bible,  who  will  carefully  study  the 
sacred  volume,  with  his  eye  upon  the  phraseology 


THE    NEW    COVENANT.  105 

there  employed,  in  reference  to  all  these  doctrines, 
will  find  the  above  affirmations  fully  sustained. 

5.  The  principles  of  interpretation  by  which  it 
can  be  shown  that  the  phraseology  of  the  passages 
before  us  does  not  sustain   the  doctrine  under  con- 
sideration, would  be  equally  conclusive  against  any 
other  phraseology  which  the  sacred  writers  could 
have  employed,  when  from  such  phraseology  this 
doctrine  should  be  inferred. 

6.  This  is  the  very  sentiment  which  is  invariably 
impressed  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  upon  the  young 
convert  in  the  warmth  of  his  early  love.     The 
language  and  sentiment  of  every  such  heart,  is — 

"  Lord,  I  make  a  full  surrender; 
Every  thought  and  power  be  thine — 

Thine  entirely, — 
Through  eternal  ages  thine." 

With  the  young  convert,  this  is  not  a  poetical 
hyperbole,  but  the  real  sentiment  and  conviction 
of  the  heart.  Now  present  to  such  a  mind,  in  the 
unsophisticated  worth  of  its  "  first  love,"  the  ex- 
ceeding great  and  precious  promises  of  the  new 
covenant,  and  how  would  he  interpret  them?  Who 
can  doubt  that  he  would  understand  them  in  con- 
formity with  the  pure  sentiments  and  convictions 
impressed  upon  his  mind  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  in 
his  conversion  ?  Such  are  the  promises  of  the 
new  covenant,  of  which  Christ  is  the  Mediator. 
7 


106  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

In  looking  to  Christ  for  the  fulfilment  of  these 
promises,  would  he  not  charge  upon  us  the  sin  of 
unbelief,  should  we  expect  less  from  him  than  that 
he  should  "  redeem  us  from  all  iniquity,"  and 
render  us  "  perfect  and  complete  in  all  the  will  of 
God  ?  "  We  come  now  to  consider — 

III.  The  object  of  Christ  in  the  provisions  of 
divine  grace.  It  is,  to  lay  the  foundation  and  pro- 
vide the  means,  for  the  fulfilment,  in  believers,  of 
all  that  is  promised  in  the  new  covenant ; — to  wit, 
the  full  and  entire  pardon  of  all  their  sins,  their 
redemption  from  all  iniquity,  their  perfection  in 
holiness,  and  their  perfect  and  perpetual  blessed- 
ness, in  an  eternal  fruition  of  the  divine  presence 
and  favor.  1  Pet.  ii.  24,  "  Who  his  own  self  bare 
our  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree,  that  we, 
being  dead  to  sin,  might  live  unto  righteousness : 
by  whose  stripes  ye  were  healed."  Eph.  v.  25 — 
27,  "  Even  as  Christ  also  loved  the  church,  and 
gave  himself  for  it ;  That  he  might  sanctify  and 
cleanse  it  with  the  washing  of  water  by  the  word, 
that  he  might  present  it  to  himself  a  glorious 
church,  not  having  spot,  or  wrinkle,  or  any  such 
thing ;  but  that  it  should  be  holy  and  without 
blemish."  Tit.  ii.  14,  "  Who  gave  himself  for  us, 
that  he  might  redeem  us  from  all  iniquity,  and 
purify  unto  himself  a  peculiar  people,  zealous  of 


THE    NEW    COVENANT.  107 

good  works."  '  John  iii.  16,  17,  "  For  God  so 
loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten 
Son,  that  whosoever  belie veth  in  him,  should  not 
perish,  but  have  everlasting  life.  For  God  sent 
not  his  Son  into  the  world  to  condemn  the  world, 
but  that  the  world  through  him  might  be  saved." 
Rom.  viii.  3,  "  For  what  the  law  could  not  do,  in 
that  it  was  weak  through  the  flesh,  God  sending  his 
own  son  in  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh,  and  for  sin, 
condemned  sin  in  the  flesh  ;  that  the  righteous- 
ness of  the  law  might  be  fulfilled  in  us,  who  walk 
not  after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit."  1  John  iii. 
5,  "And  ye  know  that  he  was  manifested  to  take 
away  our  sins ;  and  in  him  is  no  sin." 

Such  is  the  design  of  Christ,  in  all  the  provis- 
ions of  divine  grace.  It  is  to  lay  a  broad  founda- 
tion for  the  fulfilment,  on  his  part,  as  the  Media- 
tor of  the  new  covenant,  of  all  the  blessings 
promised  in  that  covenant.  This  was  the  work 
which  Christ  undertook  to  accomplish,  as  the  in- 
carnate, atoning  Saviour ;  and,  blessed  be  God,  the 
work,  which  he  assumed  in  our  behalf,  he  finished. 
"  I  have  finished  the  work  which  thou  gavest  me 
to  do."  "When  Jesus  therefore  had  received 
the  vinegar,  he  said,  It  is  finished ;  and  he  bowed 
his  head,  and  gave  up  the  ghost." 

Having  finished  this  work,  he  now  presents 
himself  to  us,  as,  "  able  to  save  them  to  the  utter- 


108  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

most,  that  come  unto  God  by  him,'  seeing  he  ever 
liveth  to  make  intercession  for  us."  We  are  per- 
mitted, by  faith,  to  "  behold  his  glory,  the  glory  as 
of  the  only  begotten  of  the  Father,  full  of  grace  and 
truth."  "And  of  his  fulness  we  may  all  receive, 
and  grace  for  grace."  Listen,  hearer,  to  the 
"  gracious  words  which  proceeded  out  of  his  mouth," 
as  our  high  priest,  and  intercessor,  as  the  "Media- 
tor of  the  new  covenant."  "  I  am  the  resurrec- 
tion and  the  life ;  he  that  believeth  in  me,  though 
he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live;  and  whosoever 
liveth  and  believeth  in  me  shall  never  die." 
"  Come  unto  me  all  ye  that  labor,  and  are  heavy 
laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest.  Take  my  yoke 
upon  you,  and  learn  of  me ;  for  I  am  meek  and 
lowly  in  heart ;  and  ye  shall  find  rest  unto  your 
souls.  For  my  yoke  is  easy,  and  my  burden  is 
light."  "  I  will  give  to  him  that  is  athirst  of  the 
fountain  of  the  water  of  life  freely."  We.  will 
now  consider, 

IV.  The  conditions  on  which  Christ  will  fulfil 
in  us  what  he  has  promised,  as  the  Mediator  of  the 
new  covenant.  These  conditions  are  distinctly 
stated  in  Ez.  xxxvi.  37,  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord 
God ;  I  will  yet  for  this  be  inquired  of  by  the 
house  of  Israel,  to  do  it  for  them."  The  things 
promised,  permit  me  to  remind  the  reader,  are 


THE    NEW    COVENANT.  109 

these — the  unlimited  pardon  of  all  sin — entire  re- 
demption from  the  power  of  sin — the  perfect  and 
perpetual  subjection  of  all  our  powers  to  the 
"whole  will  of  God" — and  the  full  and  eternal 
fruition  of  the  divine  presence  and  favor.  The 
condition,  on  which  all  this  is  promised,  is,  that 
God  be  "  inquired  of,"  through  Christ,  as  the  Me- 
diator of  the  new  covenant,  to  do  it  for  us."  Now 
inquiring  of  Christ  for  those  blessings,  implies, 

1.  A  consciousness  of  our  need  of  divine  grace — 
of  our  infinite  guilt  and  hopeless  bondage  under 
sin — of  the  absolute  hopelessness  of  our  securing 
either  of  these  blessings,  through  any  unaided  ef- 
forts of  our  own. 

2.  Confidence  unshaken  in  Christ's  ability  and 
willingness  to  do  all  this  for  us.     Suppose,  Christ 
should  address  you  as  he  did  one  of  old  in  respect 
to   another  subject,  "  Believest  thou   that  I  am 
able  to  do  this  ?"    "  Do  you  believe  that  I  am  now 
standing  at  the  door  and  knocking,  and,  that,  if 
you  will  hear  my  voice,  and  open  the  door,  I  will 
come  in  and  sup  with  you,  and  you  with  me," 
and  confer  upon  you  this  full  and  finished  redemp- 
tion ?    What  would  be  your  answer  ?    Could  your 
soul  settle  down  immovably  upon  the  affirmation, 
"  Lord  I  believe." 

3.  A  preference  of  these   blessings   above  all 
objects   in  existence.     Suppose  God  should  call 


110  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

upon  you,  to  lift  your  heart  to  his  throne,  and  ask 
of  him  what  blessing  you  pleased.  Would  your 
mind  fasten  upon  a  heart  perfectly  pure,  together 
with  its  consequences,  as  the  "pearl  of  great 
price,"  as  the  treasure  in  comparison  with  which, 
all  other  objects  are,  in  your  estimation,  "but 
loss."  If  this  is  your  state  of  mind,  there  is  but 
one  thing  more  to  be  done,  which  is  this  : 

4.  An  actual  reception  of  Christ,  and  reliance 
upon  him  for  all  those  blessings,  in  all  their  ful- 
ness— a  surrender  of  your  whole  being  to  him, 
that  he  may  accomplish  in  you  all  the  "  exceed- 
ing great  and  precious  promises"  of  the  new 
covenant.  When  this  is  done,  when  there  is  that 
full  and  implicit  reliance  upon  Christ,  for  the  en- 
tire fulfilment  of  all  that  he  has  promised,  he 
becomes  directly  responsible  for  our  full  and  com- 
plete redemption.  "He  that  believeth  in  me, 
though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live:  And 
whosoever  liveth  and  believeth  in  me  shall  never 
die."  To  us  his  word  stands  pledged  to  "  put  the 
laws  of  God  in  our  minds,  and  write  them  in  our 
hearts ;"  to  "  circumcise  our  heart  and  the  heart  of 
our  seed,  to  love  the  Lord  our  God  with  all  our 
heart  and  with  all  our  soul ;"  "  to  sprinkle  clean 
water  upon  us,  so  that  we  shall  be  clean ;"  to 
"  give  us  one  heart  and  one  way,  that  we  may  fear 
God  forever;  to  make  an  everlasting  covenant 


THE    NEW    COVENANT.  Ill 

with  us,  that  he  will  not  turn  away  from  us  to  do 
us  good,  but  that  he  will  put  the  fear  of  God  in 
our  hearts,  that  we  may  not  depart  from  him ; 
finally,  to  "  sanctify  us  wholly,  and  preserve  our 
whole  spirit,  and  soul,  and  body,  blameless  unto 
the  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  Reader, 
"believest  thou  this?"  Can  you  open  your  mouth 
thus  wide  ?  Dare  you  ask,  or  expect,  from  your 
Redeemer,  less  than  this  ?  Methinks,  1  hear  that 
Redeemer  asking  you  the  question,  "Do  you  now 
believe  ?"  "  According  to  thy  faith,  be  it  unto 
thee."  Reader,  let  me  ask  you  again,  Do  you 
desire  to  be  imbued  with  a  filial,  confiding  and 
obedient  spirit  towards  God,  to  be  brought  into 
such  a  state,  that  your  heart's  purest  and  best  af- 
fections shall  spontaneously  flow  out  towards 
Christ,  and  the  "  peace  of  God,  which  passeth  all 
understanding,  keep  your  heart  and  mind  through 
Christ  Jesus?"  Christ  is  now  present  in  your 
heart,  and  ready  to  confer  all  this  purity  and  bless- 
edness upon  you ;  if  you  can  believe  that  he  is 
able  and  willing  to  do  it  for  you,  and  will  cast  your 
entire  being  upon  his  faithfulness.  To  you  he 
says,  "  If  thou  canst  believe,  all  things  are  possible 
to  him  that  believeth."  Come  to  the  fountain, 
reader,  and  "  wash  your  garments  and  make  them 
white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb."  "Christ  bore 
your  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree,  that  you, 


112  CHRISTIAN   PERFECTION. 

being  dead  to  sin,  might  live  unto  righteousness." 
Why  should  you  any  longer  bear  the  burden  of 
those  sins  ?  especially  when  Christ,  in  view  of  the 
provisions  of  his  grace,  calls  upon  you  to  "  reckon 
yourself  dead  indeed  unto  sin,  but  alive  unto  God 
through  Jesus  Christ  your  Lord." 


REMARKS. 

I.  We  may  now  understand  the  reason,  why 
Christ  himself  prayed,  and  taught  his  church  to 
pray,  and  why  the  Holy  Spirit  constantly  influ- 
ences inspired  men  to  pray,  for  this  one  specific 
blessing — entire  perfection  in  holiness.  Also,  why 
this  is  required  of  us,  as  Christians,  and  such  re- 
wards are  held  before  us,  to  induce  us  thus  to 
consecrate  ourselves  to  Christ.  Such  prayers, 
commands,  and  motives,  are  all  based  upon  the 
provisions  and  promises  of  divine  grace,  which  se- 
cure to  the  believer,  on  condition  of  his  faith,  this 
very  blessing ;  and  are  designed  to  raise  the 
church  to  a  comprehension  of  the  "  fullness  that 
she  has  in  Christ,"  that  she  may  take  possession 
of  her  purchased  and  promised  inheritance.  We 
are  taught  to  pray  for  this  blessing,  and  such  a 
state  is  required  of  us,  because,  provision  is  made 
in  the  gospel,  for  God  to  answer  such  prayers, 
when  we  "ask  in  faith,  nothing  wavering,"  and 


THE    NEW    COVENANT.  113 

for  us  to  attain  to  that  state,  by  casting  ourselves, 
in  the  exercise  of  similar  faith,  upon  the  power 
and  faithfulness  of  Christ. 

II.  We  learn  how  to  understand  and  apply  such 
declarations  of  Scripture  as  the  following  :  "  Wash 
you,  make  you  clean  ;"  "  Make  to  yourselves  a  new 
heart  and  a  new  spirit ;"  "  Let  us  cleanse  ourselves 
from  all  filthiness  of  the  flesh  and  spirit,"  fcc. 
The  common  impression  seems  to  be,  that  men  are 
required  to  do  all  this,  in  the  exercise  of  their  own 
unaided  powers;  and  because  the  sinner  fails  to 
comply,  grace  comes  in,  and  supplies  the  condition 
in  the  case  of  Christians.  Now  I  suppose,  that  all 
such  commands  are  based  upon  the  provisions  of 
divine  grace.  The  sinner  is  not  required  to 
"  make  himself  clean,"  or  to  "  make  to  himself  a 
new  heart,"  in  the  exercise  of  his  unaided  powers ; 
but  by  application  to  the  blood  of  Christ,  "  which 
cleanseth  from  all  sin."  The  grace  which  purifi- 
eth  the  heart  is  provided :  the  fountain,  whose 
waters  cleanse  from  sin,  is  set  open.  To  this 
fountain  the  creature  is  brought,  and  because  he 
may  descend  into  it,  and  there  "  wash  his  garments 
and  make  them  white,"  he  is  met  with  the  com- 
mand, "  Wash  you,  make  you  clean,"  "  make  to 
yourself  a  new  heart  and  a  new  spirit,"  and 
"  cleanse  yourself  from  all  filthiness  of  the  flesh 


114  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

and  spirit."  The  sinner  is  able  to  make  to  him- 
self a  "  new  heart  and  a  new  spirit,"  because,  he 
can  instantly  avail  himself  of  proffered  grace.  He 
does  literally  "  make  to  himself  a  new  heart  and 
a  new  spirit,"  when  he  yields  himself  up  to  the 
influence  of  that  grace.  The  power  to  cleanse 
from  sin  lies  in  the  blood  and  grace  of  Christ ;  and 
hence,  when  the  sinner  "  purifies  himself  by  obey- 
ing the  truth  through  the  spirit,"  the  glory  of  his 
salvation  belongs,  not  to  him,  but  to  Christ. 

Herein  also  lies  the  ability  of  the  creature  to 
obey  the  commands  of  God,  addressed  to  us  as 
redeemed  sinners.  "  He  that  abideth  in  me,  and 
I  in  him,  the  same  bringeth  forth  much  fruit :  for 
without  me  ye  can  do  nothing."  "As  the  branch 
cannot  bear  fruit  of  itself,  except  it  abide  in  the 
vine :  no  more  can  ye,  except  ye  abide  in  me." 
These  declarations  are  literally  and  unqualifiedly 
true.  We  can  "  abide  in  Christ,"  and  thus  bring 
forth  the  fruit  required  of  us.  If  by  unbelief  we 
separate  ourselves  from  Christ,  we  of  necessity 
descend,  under  the  weight  of  our  own  guilt  and 
depravity,  down  the  sides  of  the  pit,  into  the  eter- 
nal sepulchre. 

'HI.  In  view  of  the  provision  of  divine  grace  for 
our  full  redemption,  and  of  the  promises  of  Christ, 
as  the  Mediator  of  the  new  covenant,  to  that  effect,  I 


THE    NEW    COVENANT.  115 

would  remark,  that  a  state  of  entire  sanctification, 
is,  and  appears  to  be,  the  most  natural  and  simple 
form  of  Christian  experience — the  form  which  we 
ought  to  expect  to  find  most  common  in  the 
church.  If  Christ  has  made  provision  for  our  en- 
tire sanctification,  and  promised  thus  to  sanctify 
us,  on  condition  of  faith  in  him  on  our  part,  that 
any  sincere  Christian,  who  is  aware  of  his  privileges, 
should  ask  for,  or  expect  less  from  him,  is  the 
most  unnatural  form  of  Christian  experience  con- 
ceivable, and  one  whose  occurrence,  we  should 
think,  would  be  regarded  as  a  strange  anomaly 
among  the  disciples  of  such  a  Saviour.  So  I  have 
no  doubt  it  will  be  regarded,  when  Christians 
come  to  a  full  understanding  of  their  "  complete- 
ness "  in  Christ. 

IV.  We  are  now  prepared  to  contemplate  the 
relation  between  the  views  maintained  in  these 
discourses,  and    those   very  commonly   held   by 
Christians  upon  the  same  subject.    In  reference  to 
the  standard  of  moral  obligation  there  is  a  per- 
fect agreement.     The  only  existing  difference  re- 
spects the  extent  of  the  provisions  and  promises  of 
divine  grace,  in  respect  to  Christians  in  this  life. 

V.  We  are  also  prepared  to  estimate  the  diffi- 


116  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

culties  in  which  the  common  theory  is  involved. 

will  specify  a  few  of  them. 

1.  The  advocates  of  the  common  theory  main- 
tain, that  the  sacred  writers  designed  to  teach  the 
doctrine,  that  no  individual  ever  attains  to  a  state 
of  entire  sanctification  in  this  life ;  while,  it  was 
their  object  to  teach  the  fact,  that  Christ  was  free 
from  all  sin,  that  all  Christians  are  perfectly  justi- 
fied here,  and  will  be  perfectly  sanctified  in  a 
future  state,  and  that  perfect  holiness  is  required 
of  us  in  this  life.  Now,  if  the  above  positions  are 
true,  how  can  we  account  for  the  strange  fact,  that 
the  same  identical  principles  of  interpretation,  by 
which  either  of  the  doctrines  last  mentioned  can 
be  proved  from  the  phraseology  of  the  sacred  wri- 
ters, demand,  when  applied  to  the  phraseology 
which  they  employed  in  expressing  the  nature 
and  extent  of  the  provisions  and  promises  of  divine 
grace,  the  admission  of  the  principle,  that  entire 
holiness  is  attainable  in  this  life — a  principle  pre- 
cisely opposite  to  the  one  which,  it  is  maintained, 
they  intended  to  teach.  Again,  how  can  we  ac- 
count for  the  fact,  in  consistency  with  the  common 
theory,  that  the  sacred  writers  employed  a  phrase- 
ology which,  if  found  in  any  other  book,  or  if  now 
used  by  individuals  in  the  same  unqualified  man- 
ner as  used  by  them,  would  be  universally  under- 
stood to  affirm  the  doctrine  maintained  in  these 


THE    NEW    COVENANT.  117 

discourses  ?  Would  the  sacred  writers  have  em- 
ployed such  a  singular  phraseology  as  this,  had  it 
been  their  object,  as  the  advocates  of  the  common 
theory  affirm,  to  impress  their  readers  with  the 
conviction,  that  perfect  holiness  is,  in  this  life, 
unattainable  ?  Again,  no  phraseology  conceivable 
is  more  perfectly  adapted  to  convey  the  sentiment 
maintained  in  these  discourses,  than  that  employed 
by  the  sacred  writers.  To  draw  any  other  doc- 
trine from  it,  it  must  be  narrowed  down,  and 
regarded  as  altogether  hyperbolical.  Now  how 
can  we  account  for  the  strange  anomaly,  that  in- 
spired men  adopted  a  phraseology  adapted  to  con- 
vey one  sentiment,  and  that  only,  when,  as  the 
common  theory  affirms,  their  definite  object  was,  to 
convey  precisely  the  opposite  sentiment  ?  These 
are  some  of  the  difficulties  in  which  the  common 
theory  is  inextricably  involved,  as  far  as  the  laws 
of  interpretation  are  concerned. 

2.  That  Christ  prayed,  and  taught  his  church 
to  pray,  and  that  the  Holy  Spirit  inspired  and  in- 
fluenced the  apostles  and  primitive  Christians,  to 
pray,  continually  and  fervently,  for  this  one  specific 
object — the  entire  sanctification  of  believers  in  this 
life,  all  admit.  According  to  the  common  theory, 
it  was  a  prime  object  of  the  sacred  writers,  to  im- 
press their  readers  and  hearers  with  the  conviction, 
that  such  prayers  will  never  be  answered,  by  the 


118  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

bestowment  of  the  blessing  desired.  How  can  we 
account  for  such  prayers,  in  consistency  with  such 
an  object  ?  Above  all,  how  shall  we  account  for 
the  fact,  that  Christ  and  inspired  men  prayed  for 
one  specific  blessing — the  entire  sanctification  of 
believers  in  this  life,  when  their  intention  was,  to 
impress  us  with  the  conviction,  that  such  a  blessing 
will  not  be  conferred ;  while  they  did  not  pray  for 
another  blessing — the  partial  holiness  of  the  Chris- 
tian,— when  their  design  was  to  impress  us  with  the 
conviction  that  this  blessing  is  agreeable  to  the 
will  of  God  ? 

3.  All  admit  that  the  richest  blessings  are  prom- 
ised to  us  on  the  specific  condition  of  perfect  holi- 
ness.     According   to   the   common   theory,   the 
sacred  writers  designed   to   impress  their  readers 
with  the  conviction,  that  this  is  a  condition  with 
which  they  will  never  in  this  life  comply.     How, 
as  asked  in  a  former  discourse,  can  such  a  fact  be 
accounted  for,  in  consistency  with  the   sincerity 
and  love  of  God  ? 

4.  According  to  the  common  theory,  God  re- 
quires us,  in  the  most  solemn  manner  conceivable, 
to  be  perfectly  holy,  and  then,  in  a'  manner  equally 
solemn,  requires  us  to  believe,  that  with  such  com- 
mands we  shall  not  comply.     How  can  such  a  fact 
be  explained? 

5.  Certain  maxims,  which  have  been   almost 
universally  regarded  as  of  fundamental  importance 


THE    NEW    COVENANT.  119 

to  efficient  action,  not  only  in  religion,  but  other 
subjects,  present  difficulties  equally  inexplicable 
in  consistency  with  the  common  theory.  For  ex- 
ample, "  What  ought  to  be  done,  may  be  done," 
i.  e.  we  should  expect  to  do.  "  God  bestows  upon 
everyone  as  much  holiness  and  peace,  as  he  sincere- 
ly desires  and  prays  for."  Suppose,  that  with  these 
maxims  before  me,  I  am  met  by  the  command,  "  Be 
ye  therefore  perfect,  even  as  your  Father  in  heaven 
is  perfect."  Suppose  that  in  view  of  this  com- 
mand, I  lift  my  heart  in  honest  and  fervent  sin- 
cerity to  God,  for  grace  to  keep  that  command. 
Now,  under  such  circumstances,  the  advocates  of 
the  common  theory  must  either  give  up  the  above 
maxims  altogether,  or  admit  the  attainableness  of 
entire  sanctification  in  this  life. 

6.  According  to  the  common  theory,  we   are 
required  to  aim  at  perfection  in  holiness,  and  at 
the  same  time,  as  shown  in  a  former  discourse,  to 
believe  that  such  a  state  is  unattainable — a  belief 
which  renders  the  formation  of  the  intention  re- 
quired an  impossibility. 

7.  The  advocates  of  the  common  theory  gene- 
rally admit,  that  perfection  in  holiness  is  attainable 
in  this  life ;  but  at  the  same  time  maintain,  that  it 
is  never  attained,  and  that  it  is  a  great  error  to 
suppose  that  it  is  attained.     Now  what  evidence 
can  we  have,  that  such  state  is  unattainable,  higher 


120  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

than  this,  that  all  Christians  in  all  past  ages  have 
honestly  and  prayerfully  aimed,  and  all  will  contin- 
ue to  the  end  of  time,  thus  to  aim  at  this  state,  a 
fact  which  all  admit,  with  the  absolute  certainty 
of  not  attaining  to  it?  Should  it  be  said,  that 
such  efforts  are  not  made  with  sufficient  vigor ; 
the  answer  is,  that,  to  put  forth  efforts  with  the 
adequate  vigor,  is  the  very  thing  at  which  all  are 
aiming.  On  the  supposition  above  referred  to, 
how  can  the  position  be  sustained,  that  the  state 
under  consideration  is  attainable  ? 

The  sinner,  it  is  said,  in  illustration  of  the  posi- 
tion that  perfection  in  holiness  is  attainable,  but 
never  attained,  is  able  to  repent,  in  the  absence 
of  special  grace,  though  he  never  will  do  it.  To 
make  the  cases  parallel,  let  us  suppose,  that  all 
sinners,  in  the  absence  of  such  grace,  are  honestly 
and  prayerfully  striving  after  holiness  ;  with  the 
absolute  certainty  of  not,  in  the  circumstances  sup- 
posed, attaining  it.  With  what  propriety,  I  ask, 
could  it,  then,  be  said,  that  holiness  is  practicable 
to  the  sinner,  in  the  absence  of  special  grace. 
What  is  here  supposed  of  the  sinner,  is  actually 
true  of  every  sincere  Christian.  Paul,  for  exam- 
ple, for  the  space  of  thirty  or  forty  years,  aimed 
steadily  and  prayerfully  at  this  one  definite  state, 
and  that,  according  to  the  sentiment  under  consid- 
eration, with  the  absolute  certainty  of  falling  short 


THE    NEW    COVENANT.  121 

of  his  object.  The  same  experiment,  and  with  the 
same  result,  every  Christian  has  repeated,  and  every 
true  Christian  will  continue  to  repeat  to  the  end  of 
time.  Yet,  it  is  said,  to  attain  to  that  state,  is  to 
every  individual,  at  every  moment,  perfectly  prac- 
ticable. What  conceivable  meaning  do  such  per- 
sons attach  to  the  terms  attainable  and  practicable, 
when  so  used  ?  The  advocates  of  the  common 
theory  are  sacredly  bound  to  take  the  ground  that 
the  state  under  consideration  is  not  attainable,  in 
any  appropriate  sense  of  the  term. 

VI.  We  are  now  prepared  to  understand  the 
nature  and  character  of  the  Antinomian,  legal,  and 
evangelical  spirit. 

The  Antinomian  spirit   relies  upon  Christ  for 
justification,  in  the  absence  of  personal  holiness, 
or  sanctification.     It  looks  to  him  to  be  saved  in     . 
and  not  from  sin. 

The  legal  spirit  assumes  two  forms — 1.  It  ex- 
pects justification  and  sanctification  both  through 
deeds  of  the  law.  This  is  the  spirit  of  the  ancient 
Pharisee  and  modern  moralist.  2.  It  expects  jus- 
tification from  Christ,  and  sanctification  from  per- 
sonal effort.  Under  the  influence  of  this  spirit,  an 
individual  will  be  perpetually  and  vainly  struggling, 
by  dint  of  resolutions,  against  the  resistless  current 
of  carnal  propensities.  In  this  hopeless  bondage 
8 


CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

he  cries  out,  "  Who  shall  deliver  me  from  the  body 
of  this  death  ? " 

The  evangelical  spirit  looks  to  Christ  alike  for 
justification  and  sanctification  both,  and,  by  implicit 
faith  in  him,  obtains  a  blissful  victory  over  the 
"world,  the  flesh,  and  the  devil."  It  is  the 
"  spirit  of  adoption  which  cries,  Abba,  Father," 
and  in  that  cry,  seeks  and  obtains  deliverance  from 
the  "  bondage  of  corruption  into  the  glorious  lib- 
erty of  the  children  of  God."  The  Antinomian 
spirit  is  the  stagnation  of  the  moral  powers  in  a 
state  of  spiritual  death.  The  evangelical  spirit  is 
their  full,  and  free,  and  perpetual  action,  in  a  state 
of  life  and  peace.  While  the  legal  spirit,  in  its 
hopeless  struggle  with  the  flesh,  cries  out,  "O 
wretched  man  that  I  am !  who  shall  deliver  me 
from  the  body  of  this  death ;"  the  evangelical  spirit, 
in  the  triumph  of  faith,  exclaims,  "  I  thank  God, 
through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord."  The  legal  spirit 
crying — 

"  Where  is  the  blessedness  I  knew 
When  first  I  saw  the  Lord  ?  " 

looks  back  to  its  first  love,  as  the  brightest  spot  in 
its  whole  experience,  for  it  was  then  joined  with 
another  spirit  than  itself.  The  evangelical  spirit, 
with  its  eye  steadily  fixed  upon  the  "  bright  and 
morning  star,"  moves  peacefully  and  perpetually 
onward,  in  a  path  which  "shines  brighter  and 


THE    NEW    COVENANT*  123 

brighter  unto  the  perfect  day."  The  legal  spirit, 
"  vainly  puffed  up/'  notwithstanding  its  perpetual 
short  comings,  "  with  its  fleshly  mind,"  in  view 
of  a  few  fancied  attainments,  made  by  dint  of 
resolution,  exclaims  to  the  stander-by,  "  Stand  by 
thyself;  I  am  holier  than  thou."  The  evangelical 
spirit,  overwhelmed  with  a  sense  of  the  grace  of 
God  in  its  redemption,  exclaims,  "Behold  what 
manner  of  love  the  Father  hath  bestowed  upon  us, 
that  we  should  be  called  the  sons  of  God  ? "  Not 
for  works  of  righteousness  which  we  have  done, 
but  according  to  his  mercy,  hath  he  saved  us." 

"  Infinite  grace  to  vileness  given, 

The  sons  of  earth  made  heirs  of  heaven." 

In  short,  the  Antinomian  spirit  is.  the  spirit  of 
spiritual  death.  The  legal  spirit  is  the  "  spirit  of 
bondage."  The  evangelical  spirit  is  the  "  glorious 
liberty  of  the  children  of  God." 

VII.  We  are  now  prepared  for  a  distinct  con- 
templation of  the  grand  mistake,  into  which  the 
great  mass  of  Christians  appear  to  have  fallen,  in 
respect  to  the  gospel  of  Christ.  It  is  this  :  Ex- 
pecting to  obtain  justification,  and  not,  at  the 
same  time,  and  to  the  same  extent,  sanctification 
by  faith  in  Christ.  Where  is  the  Christian  who 
can  say  from  experience,  "  This  is  the  victory  that 
overcometh  the  world,  even  our  faith  ? "  When 


124  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

do  we  hear  the  convert,  for  example,  directed  to 
faith  in  Christ,  as  the  certain  means  of  subduing 
his  temper,  subjecting  his  appetites,  crucifying  his 
sinful  propensities,  overcoming  the  great  enemy, 
"  fulfilling  the  righteousness  of  the  law,"  and 
enjoying  perpetual  and  perfect  peace  and  blessed- 
ness in  God  ?  An  almost  entire  new  leaf  will  be 
turned  over  in  Christian  experience  when  the 
Church  knows  Christ  as  such  a  Saviour. 

The  consequence  of  the  mistake  under  consider- 
ation, is  what  might  be  expected.  The  great  mass 
of  the  Church  are  slumbering  in  Antinomian  death  ; 
or  struggling  in  legal  bondage,  with  barely  enough 
of  the  evangelical  spirit,  to  keep  the  pulse  of  spi- 
ritual life  faintly  beating.  When  will  the  Church 
arise  from  this  state  of  gloom,  and  death,  and  bar- 
renness, to  an  apprehension  and  enjoyment  of  her 
privileges  in  Christ,  as  the  Mediator  of  the  new 
covenant  ? 

A 

VIII.  We  are  also  prepared  to  account  for  a 
melancholy  fact  which  characterizes  different  stages 
of  the  experience  of  the  great  mass  of  Christians. 
From  the  evangelical  simplicity  of  their  first  love, 
they  pass  into  a  state  of  legal  bondage,  and  after  a 
fruitless  struggle  of  vain  resolutions  with  the 
"  world,  the  flesh,  and  the  devil,"  they  appear  to 
descend  into  a  kind  of  Antinomian  death.  The 


THE    NEW    COVENANT.  125 

reason  why  Christian  experience  takes  such  a 
course,  I  suppose  to  be  this :  The  young  convert, 
in  the  first  instance,  is  turned  away  from  Christ, 
to  his  own  resolutions,  fcc.,  as  the  means  of  contin- 
uance in  the  path  of  life,  and  this  with  the  assurance 
that  his  carnal  propensities  will  never  be  fully  cru- 
cified, till  death  shall  release  the  captive.  Thus 
he  is  very  soon  conducted  into  the  region  of  legal- 
ism,  with  the  atmosphere  around  him  already 
charged  to  no  small  extent  with  the  cheerless, 
deadening  vapors  of  Antinomianism.  Here,  after  a 
vain  struggle  of  longer  or  shorter  continuance,  with 
sin  and  sinful  propensities,  the  spirit  of  Antinomian 
slumber  prevails,  and  death,  and  not  a  present 
Christ,  is  looked  for,  as  the  great  deliverer  from 
bondage.  This  direction,  Christian  experience 
will  unchangeably  take,  till  Christians  fully  under- 
stand the  import  of  the  question,  "  Who  is  he  that 
overcometh  the  world,  but  he  that  believeth  that 

Jesus  is  the  Christ ! " 

• 

IX.  We  are  now  fully  prepared  to  understand 
the  design  of  Paul  in  the  7th  and  8th  chapters  of 
Romans.  The  whole  epistle  is  mainly  directed 
against  two  fundamental  errors  of  the  Jews,  to  wit, 
that  justification  and  sanctification,  are  both  to  be 
obtained  by  deeds  of  law.  The  first  error  he  ex- 
plodes in  the  preceding  chapters,  showing  the 


126  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

hopeless  condemnation  of  all  men  under  the  law, 
and  their  entire  justification  through  faith  in  Christ. 
In  chapters  vii.  and  viii.,  he  pursues  a  course  in 
regard  to  sanctification,  precisely  similar  to  what 
he  had  done  in  the  chapters  preceding,  in  regard 
to  justification.  His  object  is,  to  contrast  the 
hopeless  bondage,  and  fruitless  struggle  of  the 
creature  after  holiness,  under  the  old  covenant  or 
moral  law,  with  his  perfect  liberty,  blessedness  and 
safety,  under  the  new  covenant.  As  the  apostle 
had  himself  fully  tested  the  influence  of  both  cove- 
nants upon  men  as  sinners,  he  gives  us  his  own 
experience ;  first  as  a  Pharisee  under  the  old,  and 
secondly,  as  a  Christian  under  the  new  covenant. 
Under  the  former,  he  says,  notwithstanding  the 
law  is  good,  and  I  delight  in  it  "  after  the  inward 
man,"  and  often  resolve  to  keep  its  pure  requisi- 
tions, still  " I  am  carnal,  sold  under  sin."  "The 
good  that  I  would,  I  do  not,  but  the  evil  that  I 
would  not,  that  I  do."  Under  the  new  covenant, 
on  the  other  hand,  I  am  "  free  from  the  law  of 
sin  and  death,"  breathe  the  "  spirit  of  adoption," 
am  free  from  all  condemnation,  possess  a  hope  sure 
and  steadfast,  and  am  an  "  heir  of  God  and  a 
joint  heir  with  Jesus  Christ."  In  short,  in  chap- 
ter vii.  he  gives  us  a  view  of  the  bondage  of 
the  legal  spirit,  in  its  fruitless  struggle  against  the 
current  of  carnal  propensities.  In  the  8th,  he 


THE    NEW    COVENANT.  127 

gives  us  the  triumph  and  freedom  of  the  evangeli- 
cal spirit,  through  faith  in  Christ,  as  the  "  Media- 
tor of  the  new  covenant." 

X.  We  now  see  the  reason  why  most  professors 
of  religion  find  their  own  experience  portrayed  in 
the  7th  instead  of  the  8th  chapter  of  Romans. 
One  of  two  reasons  must  be  assigned  for  this  mel- 
ancholy fact.  Either  they  have  never  known  any 
other  than  the  legal  spirit,  or  else,  "  Having  begun 
in  the  spirit,"  they  are  engaged  in  a  vain  struggle 
to  be  "made  perfect  in  the  flesh."  In  other 
words,  they  are  now  in  legal  bondage.  To  Christ, 
as  a  sanctifying  Saviour,  as  the  "  Mediator  of  the 
new  covenant,"  they  are,  comparatively  speaking, 
strangers.  When  they  thus  know  Christ,  they 
will  find  their  experience  portrayed  in  another  and 
different  chapter  than  the  one  now  under  consid- 
eration. 

XL  Finally,  we  may  now  contemplate  the  rea- 
son why,  to  most  Christians,  the  idea  of  arriving  to 
a  state  of  entire  sanctification  in  this  life,  appears  so 
chimerical.  With  the  views  commonly  entertained 
of  the  power  of  the  gospel,  and  of  the  means  of 
holiness,  the  thought  of  arriving  to  such  a  state  is 
one  of  the  most  chimerical  ideas  that  ever  entered 
the  human  mind.  If  there  is  no  other  means  of 


128  CHRISTIAN   PERFECTION. 

coming  into  that  state,  but  by  forcing  my  way,  by 
dint  of  personal  effort,  through  the  dead  sea  of  my 
carnal  propensities,  I  may  as  well  give  over  the 
struggle  first  as  last.  Whatever  my  natural  powers 
may  be,  a  victory  I  shall  never  obtain  in  this  man- 
ner. But  if,  on  the  other  hand,  I  am  permitted  to 
hear  the  voice  of  Christ  saying,  Look  to  me,  and 
I  will  enter  into  a  covenant  with  you,  that  I  will 
myself  "circumcise  thy  heart  to  love  the  Lord  thy 
God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul," 
that  I  will  "  redeem  you  from  all  iniquity,"  and 
cause  you  to  stand  "  perfect  and  complete  in  all 
the  will  of  God ; "  then  I  find  myself  standing  in 
an  entirely  different  relation  to  the  state  under 
consideration.  The  condition  on  which  all  this 
blessedness  is  promised  I  can  perform.  I  can  as 
easily  look  to  Christ  for  perfect,  as  for  partial 
holiness ;  and  when  my  faith  hangs  upon  him  for  a 
fulfilment  of  all  that  he  has  promised,  he  has 
mercifully  assumed  the  responsibility  of  doing  for 
me  according  to  the  faith  which  his  own  spirit  has 
induced  me  to  exercise. 

Christian,  "  you  have  not  come  unto  the  mount 
that  might  be  touched,  and  that  burned  with  fire, 
nor  unto  blackness,  and  darkness,  and  tempest, 
and  the  sound  of  a  trumpet,  and  the  voice  of 
words ;  which  voice,  they  that  heard,  entreated 
that  the  word  should  not  be  spoken  unto  them  any 


THE    NEW    COVENANT. 


more.  For  they  could  not  endure  that  which  was 
commanded,  And  if  so  much  as  a  beast  touch 
the  mountain,  it  shall  be  stoned,  or  thrust  through 
with  a  dart  ;  and  so  terrible  was  the  sight  that  even 
Moses  said,  I  exceedingly  fear  and  quake.  But 
ye  are  come  unto  Mount  Zion,  and  unto  the  city 
of  the  living  God,  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  and  to 
an  innumerable  company  of  angels,  to  the  general 
assembly  and  church  of  the  first  born  which  are 
written  in  heaven,  and  to  God  the  judge  of  all, 
and  to  the  spirits  of  the  just  made  perfect.  And  to 
Jesus,  the  Mediator  of  the  new  covenant,  and  to 
the  blood  of  sprinkling  which  speaketh  better 
things  than  the  blood  of  Abel.  See  that  ye  re- 
fuse not  him  that  speaketh.  For  if  they  escaped 
not  who  refused  him  that  spake  on  earth,  much 
more  shall  not  we  escape,  if  we  turn  away  from 
him  that  speaketh  from  heaven."  To  this  "  blood 
of  sprinkling,"  let  us  come  and  "  wash  our  gar- 
ments, and  make  them  white,"  and  then  lift  our 
hearts  to  heaven,  and  exclaim,  "  Unto  him  that 
loved  us,  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own 
blood,  and  hath  made  us  kings  and  priests  unto 
God  and  his  father  ;  to  him  be  glory  and  dominion 
forever  and  ever.  Amen." 


DISCOURSE  V. 


FULL  REDEMPTION  IN  CHRIST. 

"  Wherefore  he  is  able  to  save  them  to  the  uttermost,  that 
come  unto  God  by  him,  seeing  he  ever  liveth  to  make  inter- 
cession for  them." — Heb.  vii.  25. 

"  But  whosoever  drinketh  of  the  water  that  I  shall  give 
him,  shall  never  thirst :  but  the  water  that  I  shall  give  him, 
shall  be  in  him  a  well  of  water  springing  up  into  everlasting 
life/'— John  iv.  14. 

In  remarking  upon  these  passages,  the  attention 
of  the  reader  is  invited  to  a  consideration  of  the 
following  propositions,  which  it  will  be  my  object 
to  illustrate  and  establish. 

I.  Christ  presents  himself  to  us  as  a  Saviour  in 
this  sense,  that  he  is  both  able  and  willing  to  meet 
fully  every  real  demand  of  our  being;  in  other 
words,  perfectly  to  supply  all  our  real  necessities. 

II.  We  will  notice  some  of  the  demands  of  our 
nature,  which  Christ  pledges  himself  to  meet. 

HI.  Illustrate  the  nature  of  faith  in  Christ  as 
such  a  Saviour. 

IV.  I  will  endeavor  to  show  that  the  object  of 
Christ,  in  all  his  dispensations  toward  his  people, 


132  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

is  to  induce  in  them  the  exercise  of  this  implicit 
faith  towards  him. 

V.  That  it  is  only  when  this  implicit  faith  is  ex- 
ercised towards  Christ,  that  he  can  accomplish  in 
us  all  that  he  has  promised. 

VI.  That  Christians  honor  Christ  most  highly, 
when  and  only  when  they  rely  upon  him,  for  an 
entire  fulfilment  in  them  of  all  that  he  has  prom- 
ised. 

I.  Christ  presents  himself  to  us  as  a  Saviour,  in 
this  sense,  that  he  is  both  able  and  willing  to  meet 
fully  every  real  demand  of  our  being;  in  other 
words,  perfectly  to  supply  all  our  real  necessities. 
The  truth  of  this  proposition,  I  argue — 

1.  From  the  fact  that  it  is  positively  promised 
in  the  text,  and  elsewhere  in  the  Bible.  "  He  is 
able  to  save  them  to  the  uttermost  that  come  unto 
God  by  him."  Whosoever  shall  drink  of  the  water 
that  I  shall  give  him  shall  never  thirst,  i.  e.,  all  his 
real  necessities  shall  be  perfectly  supplied.  Phil.  iv. 
19,  "  But  my  God  shall  supply  all  your  need  ac- 
cording to  his  riches  in  glory  by  Christ  Jesus." 
Ps.  Ixxxiv.  11.  "For  the  Lord  God  is  a  sun  and 
shield;  the  Lord  will  give  grace  and  glory;  no 
good  thing  will  he  withhold  from  them  that  walk 
uprightly."  Rom.  viii.  32.  "  He  that  spared  not 
his  own  Son,  but  delivered  him  up  for  us  all, 


FULL    REDEMPTION.  133 

how  shall  he  not  with  him  also  freely  give  us  all 
things." 

2.  On  this  condition  only,  can  Christ  claim  to 
be  unto  us  the  object  of  supreme  regard.     If  there 
was  any  real  demand  of  our  nature,  which  he  was 
unable  or  unwilling  to  meet,  for  the  supply  of  that 
demand,  we  should  look  to  some  other  source. 

3.  Christ   is   infinite  in   power  and  love;  and 
therefore  must  be  both  able  and  willing  thus  to 
"supply  our  need." 

II.  We  will  now  consider  some  of  the  demands 
of  our  being,  which  Christ  pledges  himself  to  meet. 
All  the  real  demands  of  our  nature  are  comprehend- 
ed in  these  two — a  state  of  perfect  moral  purity 
and  blessedness.  That  these  may  be  possessed  in  , 
all  their  fulness,  the  following  special  demands  must 
be  met. 

1.  As  sinners,  we  need  pardon.  Till  we  are 
conscious  that  God  has  forgiven  our  sins,  and  fully 
restored  us  to  his  favor,  a  state  of  well-being  is, 
with  us,  an  absolute  impossibility.  To  meet  this 
demand,  Christ  presents  himself  to  us,  as  our  "ad- 
vocate with  the  Father,"  and  as  the  "  propitiation 
for  our  sins."  "  Being  justified  by  faith,  we  have 
peace  with  God  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 
"And  not  only  so,  but  we  also  joy  in  God,  through 


134  CHRISTIAN   PERFECTION. 

our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  we  have  now 
received  the  atonement." 

2.  Another  demand  of  our  nature  is,  entire  de- 
liverance from  the  power  of  sin,  into  a  state  of 
conscious,  perfect  moral  rectitude.     In  every  con- 
dition, actual  and  conceivable,  this  is  a  changeless 
demand  of  our  being.     Until  it  is  met,  and  perfect- 
ly met,  the  want  of  it  will,  of  necessity,  render 
our  minds  "  like  the  troubled  sea."     To  meet  this 
demand,  Christ  presents  himself  as  able  and  willing 
to  "redeem  us  from  all  iniquity,"  and  render  us 
"  perfect  and  complete  in  all  the  will  of  God." 

3.  Another  demand  of  our  nature  is,  conscious 
security  against  all  the  temptations  to  sin,  from  the 
"  world,  the  flesh,  and  the  devil."     To  meet  this 
demand,  the  Saviour  pledges  himself  that    "he 
will  not  suffer  us  to  be  tempted  above  that  we  are 
able,  but  will  with  the  temptation  make  a  way  to 
escape,  that  we  may  be  able  to  bear  it."     He 
presents  us  with  the  armor  of  righteousness,  assur- 
ing us  that,  if  we  will  "  put  on  the  whole  armor  of 
God,"  we  shall  be  "  able  to  stand  against  all  the 
wiles  of  the  devil." 

4.  Another  fundamental  demand  of  our  being,  is 
a  love  of  knowledge.     In  view  of  this  demand, 
Christ  holds  before  our  minds  the  declaration  of 
eternal  love,  "And  this  is  life  eternal,  that  they 
might  know  thee,  the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus 


FULL   REDEMPTION.  135 

whom  he  hath  sent/5  and  then  presents  himself  to 
us,  as  able  and  willing,  through  his  Spirit,  to  com- 
municate this  knowledge  to  us. 

5.  To  a  state  of  perfect  well-being,  the  friendship 
and  favor  of  other  minds  is  an  indispensable  requisite. 
To  supply  this  want  of  our  being,  he  holds  before 
us  the  divine  declaration,  "  I  will  dwell  in  them 
and  walk  in  them ; "  "And  will  be  a  father  unto 
you,  and  ye  shall  be  my  sons  and  daughters,  saith 
the  Lord  Almighty."     He  then  lifts  our  contem- 
plation to  the  eternal  throne,  and  pledges  himself 
to  introduce  us  to  an  endless  and  blissful  associa- 
tion with  the  pure  spirits  that   are  congregated 
there. 

6.  We  have  also  certain  demands  through  our 
physical  constitution,  which  need  to  be  met.     To 
meet  these,  Christ  stands  ready  to  do  for  us  the 
following  things — 1.  To  render  us  perfectly  con- 
tented with  our  circumstances,  whatever  they  may 
be.     2.  To  render  us  in  the  highest  sense  blessed, 
in   what   infinite  love  actually   confers  upon  us. 
The  saint  who  could  sit  down  to  her  meal,  which 
consisted  barely  of  a  cup  of  water  and  a  few  dry 
crusts  of  bread,  and  lift  her  heart  to  heaven  with 
the  exclamation,  "All  this,  Lord,  and  Jesus,  too," 
hardly  needed  another  ingredient  to  her  cup  of 
blessedness,   to  cause    it  to  overflow.      3.    To 
bestow  upon  us  all  that  will  be  to  us,  in  our  cir- 


136  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

cumstances,  a  real  blessing.  "  Seek  first  the  king- 
dom of  God,  and  his  righteousness,  and  all  these 
things  shall  be  added  unto  you."  4.  To  cause 
"  all  things  to  work  together  for  our  good." 

7.  I  notice  but  one  other  demand  of  our  nature 
which  is  met  in  Christ,  which  is  this,  an  assured 
hope  of  a  peaceful  death  and  a  glorious  immortal- 
ity. To  meet  this  demand,  he  spreads  before  us 
the  following  assurance,  "  In  my  father's  house 
are  many  mansions :  if  it  were  not  so,  I  would 
have  told  you.  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you. 
And  if  I  go  and  prepare  a  place  for  you,  I  will 
come  again  and  receive  you  unto  myself,  that 
where  I  am  there  ye  may  be  also."  With  what 
infinite  sweetness  can  we  pillow  our  heads  upon 
such  a  pledge  as  this. 

Such,  Christian,  is  the  fulness  that  dwells  in 
Christ  for  you.  Such,  also,  is  your  completeness 
in  him.  In  view  of  this  fulness,  this  perfect  com- 
pleteness, he  claims  to  be  the  sun  and  centre  of 
your  soul.  "  To  whom  shall  we  go,"  blessed 
Jesus,  but  unto  thee?  "Thou  hast  the  words  of 
eternal  life.  And  we  believe,  and  are  sure,  that 
thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God  ? " 

III.  We  are  now  prepared  for  our  third  inqui- 
ry, which  is,  The  nature  of  faith  in  Christ  as  such 
a  Saviour.  It  implies — 1.  A  consciousness  o 


FULL    REDEMPTION.  137 

infinite  guilt,  poverty,  and  helplessness  in  our- 
selves. 2.  The  apprehension  of  Christ  as  a  pre- 
sent Saviour,  able  and  willing  to  meet  all  the 
demands  of  our  being,  as  described  above.  3. 
The  actual  reception  of  him,  and  cordial  and  vol- 
untary surrender  of  our  whole  being  to  his  control, 
that  he  may  accomplish  in  us  all  that  he  has  prom- 
ised to  those  "  who  come  unto  God  by  him." 
The  individual,  that  knows  and  believes  the  love 
that  the  Father  hath  unto  us ; "  that  relies  with 
implicit  confidence  upon  the  absolute  truth  and 
rectitude  of  all  that  Christ  has  affirmed,  and  casts 
all  his  powers  and  interests  upon  his  faithfulness, 
with  the  peaceful  expectation  of  realizing,  in  his 
own  experience,  a  blessed  fulfilment  of  all  that  He 
has  promised,  such  an  individual  exercises  that 
faith  by  which  we  are  told  the  "just  shall  live." 
This  leads  me  to  remark — 

IV.  That  the  object  of  Christ,  in  his  dispensa- 
tions and  teachings,  is,  to  induce  in  us  the  exercise 
of  this  implicit  faith  in  himself.  A  bare  allusion  to 
a  few  circumstances  in  the  life  of  our  Saviour  will 
afford  a  sufficient  illustration  of  this  part  of  our 
subject.  For  example,  1.  The  promptness  with 
which  he  invariably  granted  the  requests  of  those 
who  cast  themselves  with  implicit  faith  upon  his 
power  and  faithfulness,  together  with  the  com- 
9 


138  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

mendation  which  he  always  bestowed  upon  such 
acts  of  confidence.     2.  The  fact  that  he  always 
required  such  confidence,  as  a  condition  of  extend- 
ing relief,  by  the  exertion  of  miraculous  power. 
"  If  thou  canst  believe,  all  things  are  possible  to 
him  that  believeth."     3.  His  perpetual  reference 
to  the  unbelief  of  his  disciples,  as  the  cause  of  their 
failure  to  perform  miracles,  of  their  fear  in  the 
tempest,  and  of  their  carefulness  in  respect  to  the 
supply   of  their  temporal   necessities.      4.    The 
repeated   assurances   that  he  gave  them,  that,  if 
they  would  only  exercise  this  implicit  faith  in  him, 
"  nothing   should   be   impossible   to   them."      5. 
The   manner   in    which   he    sent  them   forth  to 
preach,  and  then  asking  them,  at  the  close  of  his 
ministry,  whether,  in  going  out  under  his  protec- 
tion, as  "  sheep  in  the  midst  of  wolves,"  without 
any  provision   at   all   for  their  wants,  they  had 
lacked  any  thing?     One  object  is  perfectly  visible 
in   all  these  instances,  which  was,  to  break  their 
hold  of  every  other  object,  and  to  lead  them  to 
hang  their  entire  being,  with  implicit  trust,  upon 
his  power  and  faithfulness.     Such  was  the  single 
object  of  his  entire  course  of  treatment  in  respect 
to  his  disciples  and  hearers  while  on  earth.     The 
same  object,  Christian,   he  'is  now  pursuing  to- 
wards   you.      When    unbelief    has   disappeared 
from  your  heart,  when  you  will  "  credit  all  that 


FULL    REDEMPTION.  139 

lie  lias  said,"  when  you  shall  calmly  and  peace- 
fully repose  all  your  powers  and  interests  upon  his 
faithful  word,  then  his  object  in  respect  to  you  is 
accomplished.  Then  he  will  open  the  fountains 
of  eternal  love,  and  let  its  life-giving  waters  flow 
in  upon  you  for  ever.  He  then  can  and  will  ac- 
complish in  you  all  that  infinite  love  desires. 
"  Said  I  not  unto  thee,  that  if  thou  wouldst  believe, 
thou  shouldst  see  the  glory  of  God  ?" 

V.  I  am  now  to  show,  that  it  is  only  when  this 
implicit  confidence  is  exercised  towards  Christ,  as 
a  Saviour  able  and  willing  to  meet  all  our  necessi- 
ties, that  he  can  accomplish  in  us  all  that  he  has 
promised.  How  else,  for  example,  can  he  pre- 
serve us,  free  from  all  care,  and  "  keep  us  in  per- 
fect peace.57  While  the  mind  reposes  with  un- 
wavering trust  in  his  ability  and  faithfulness  to 
meet  all  its  necessities,  the  necessary  result  is  a 
state  of  perfect  quietude.  Distrust,  on  the  other 
hand,  as  necessarily  throws  the  mind  into  a  state 
of  agitation.  The  little  child  could  be  preserved 
in  a  state  of  perfect  peace,  in  the  midst  of  the 
wildest  fury  of  the  hurricane,  by  the  thought  that 
his  father  held  the  helm,  so  long,  and  so  long  only, 
as  he  reposed  implicit  confidence  in  that  father's 
ability  and  faithfulness  to  guide  the  vessel  through 
the  storm,  So  of  the  Christian:  Christ  will 


140  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

"  keep  those  in  perfect  peace,"1  whose  minds  are 
staid  and  pure,  because  they  trust  in  him.  To 
keep  the  mind  thus,  while  in  a  state  of  distrust,  is 
an  absolute  impossibility. 

For  the  same  reason,  it  is  impossible  for  Christ 
to  be  unto  us  an  object  of  supreme  love  and 
delight,  until  we  are  brought  to  confide  in  him 
as  being  such  a  Saviour  as  he  represents  himself 
to  be.  Then,  and  then  only,  can  he  stir  up  the 
deep  fountains  of  feeling  within  us,  and  cause  the 
tide  of  love  and  blessedness  to  roll  on  for  ever. 

How,  it  may  further  be  asked,  is  it  possible  for 
Christ  to  bring  us  into  a  state  of  perfect  obedience 
to  his  will,  until  we  are  induced  to  exercise  im- 
plicit confidence  in  the  absolute  wisdom  and  rec- 
titude of  his  requisitions?  Whatever  Christ  does 
for  us  as  a  Saviour,  he  does  and  must  do,  on  one 
condition  only,  that  confidence  implicit  is  reposed 
in  his  ability  and  faithfulness  to  meet  and  supply 
our  necessities.  The  experience  of  every  individ- 
ual will  present  a  perfect  verification  of  his  decla- 
rations. "  I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life ;  he 
that  believeth  in  me  though  he  were  dead,  yet 
shall  he  live :  And  whosoever  liveth  and  believeth 
in  me  shall  never  die."  On  the  other  hand,  "  U 
ye  believe  not  that  I  am  He,  ye  shall  die  in  your 


FULL   REDEMPTION.  141 

VI.  Lastly,  I  am  to  show,  that  Christians 
honor  Christ  the  most  highly,  when  and  only 
when,  they  rely  upon  him  for  an  entire  fulfilment 
in  them,  of  all  that  he  has  promised,  i.  e.  to  sup- 
ply all  our  real  necessities.  The  more  enlarged 
and  confiding  their  expectations,  the  higher  the 
honor  they  confer  upon  him.  This  is  evident 
from  the  following  considerations. 

1.  They  then,  and  then  only,  give  him  full  and 
perfect  credit  for  veracity  in  the  testimony  which 
he  has  given  respecting  himself.     Such  a  Saviour 
he  represents  himself  to  be.     When  we  trust  him 
with  full  and  perfect  confidence  as  such  a  Saviour, 
we  honor  him  as  a  "  faithful  and  true  witness." 
Unbelief,  a  want  of  this  implicit  confidence,  casts 
the  highest  possible  dishonor  upon  Christ,  because 
it  practically  affirms,  that  he  is  not  what  he  has 
declared  himself  to  be. 

2.  In  the  exercise  of  this  full  and  implicit  con- 
fidence in  Christ  as  a  perfect  Saviour,  we  honor 
in  the  highest  possible  degree,  his  benevolence, 
his  mercy,  his  love.    To  expect  less  from  Christ 
than  a  full  supply  of  all  our  necessities,  is  to  affirm, 
that  his  love  is  not  infinite. 

3.  In  the  exercise  of  this  confidence  only,  we 
give  him  credit  for  being  a  perfect  Saviour.     If 
there  is  a  solitary  demand  of  our  being,  which  he 
is  not  able  and  willing  to  meet,  he  is  so  far,  as  a 
Saviour,  imperfect. 


142  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

Do  you  wish,  Christian,  to  put  the  highest  pos- 
sible honor  upon  Christ ;  "  open  your  mouth  wide,"' 
with  the  joyful  confidence  that  he  "  will  fill  it."" 
Cast  all  your  cares  upon  him.  Believe  that  in 
him  you  are  "  complete,"  and  seek  and  expect 
from  him  the  most  perfect  fulness.  When  you 
expect  from  him  less  than  this,  you  cast  reproach 
upon  his  character  for  veracity,  and  faithfulness, 
as  possessed  of  infinite  love,  as  an  all  powerful 
and  perfect  Saviour.  You  affirm  that  "  in  him  all 
fulness  "  does  not  dwell.  You  wound  his  heart 
of  love.  You  "  grieve  his  Holy  Spirit."  You 
put  out  the  light  of  your  own  soul. 

REMARKS. 

I.  We  may  now  understand  the  distinction  be- 
tween perfect  and  imperfect  faith.  They  are  not 
distinguished,  I  suppose,  by  this,  that  in  reference 
to  the  same  object,  and  the  same  feature  of  Christ's 
character,  the  mind  may  be  in  a  state  of  trust,  and 
distrust,  at  one  and  the  same  moment.  Our  faith 
may  be  imperfect  for  two  reasons.  1.  We  may 
repose  confidence  in  one,  and  not  in  every  fea- 
ture of  Christ's  character  as  a  Saviour.  For 
example,  the  mind,  in  consequence  of  ignorance 
of  the  perfect  fulness  of  Christ's  redemption 
in  all  respects,  may  repose  full  confidence  in 


FULL    REDEMPTION.  143 

Christ  as  a  justifying,  but  not  as  a  sanctifying  \ 
Saviour?  2.  For  the  same  reason,  the  mind  may  / 
repose  confidence  in  Christ,  for  sustaining  grace,  in 
one  condition  in  life,  and  not  in  another.  We 
may,  for  example,  expect  Christ  to  bless  us  in  our 
closets,  but  not  in  the  midst  of  our  business  trans- 
actions. The  faith  of  all  such  persons  is  imper- 
fect. Perfect  faith,  on  the  other  hand,  is  a  full  and 
unshaken  confidence  in  Christ,  as  in  all  respects, 
at  all  times,  and  in  every  condition,  a  full  and  per- 
fect Saviour,  a  Saviour  able  and  willing  to  meet 
every  possible  demand  of  our  being. 

II.  We  also  see  how  it  was,  that  Satan  effected 
the  ruin  of  our  first  parents.     It  was  by  persuad- 
ing them,  that  there  was  one  fundamental  demand 
of  their  being,  a  love  of  knowledge,  which  God 
did  not  design  to  meet ;  and  by  inducing  them  to 
attempt  to  supply  that  demand  by  transgressing 
the  divine  prohibition.     In  this  state  of  distrust  of 
God's  power  or  willingness  to  meet  and  supply  all 
their  necessities,  all  mankind  now  are  by  nature, 
and  this  distrust  is  the  sole  cause  of  every  act  of 
disobedience  on  earth. 

III.  We  may  now  understand  one  fundamental 
design  of  the  plan  of  redemption.     It  is  to  restore 
in  man  the  full,  implicit,  and  universal  confidence, 


144  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

in  the  power,  wisdom  and  love  of  God,  which  was 
exercised  by  our  first  parents  before  the  fall,  and 
is  now  exercised  by  all  holy  beings  in  existence. 
What  God  said  to  .Abraham,  he  says  to  all  the 
sons  of  men,  who  will  hearken  to  his  voice,  as  Abra- 
ham did,  "I  am  thy  shield,  and  thy  exceeding 
great  reward."  When  God  is  chosen  by  the  soul 
as  its  eternal  portion,  in  whom  every  demand  of 
its  being  is  perfectly  meet,  then  the  work  of  re- 
demption is  accomplished  in  man,  as  far  as  his 
restoration  to  the  love  and  favor  of  God  is  con- 
cerned. 

IV.  We  also  see  when  it  is  that  an  individual 
is  brought  into  a  state  of  entire  and  permanent  ho- 
liness. When  he  is  settled  into  a  state  of  full  and 
perpetual  consciousness,  that  in  Christ  every  de- 
mand of  his  being  is  met,  and  when  all  his  pow- 
ers are  sweetly  yielded  up  to  his  control,  that  he 
may  thus  supply  our  wants,  and  accomplish  in  and 
through  us,  all  the  good  pleasure  of  his  goodness. 
Of  such  a  person,  in  such  a  state,  it  may  truly  be 
said,  "  There  is  none  occasion  of  stumbling  in 
him."  Nor  will  there  ever  be  to  all  eternity. 
Into  this  blissful  state,  Christian,  Christ  is  both 
able  and  willing  to  bring  you.  Into  this  state  he 
will  bring  you,  as  soon  as  you  will  credit  his  testi- 
mony to  his  own  ability  and  willingness,  and 


FULL    REDEMPTION.  145 

will  accordingly  surrender  yourself  to  his  sweet 
control. 

V.  We  are  now  presented  with  another  inex- 
plicable difficulty  in  the  way  of  the  theory,  that 
perfection  in  holiness  is  unattainable  in  this  life. 
The  advocates  of  that  theory  are  bound  to  take 
the  ground,  that  in  our  condition  in  this  life,  such 
perfection,  i.  e.  a  state  of  perfect  moral  rectitude, 
would  not  be,  on  the  whole,  a  blessing  to  us,  for 
the  glory  of  God,  and  the  good  of  the  universe ;  or 
admit  that  Christ  is  able  and  willing  to  confer  this 
perfection  upon  us.  If  it  is  a  good,  Christ  stands 
pledged  to  confer  it  upon  us.  For  God  has  said, 
that,  "  No  good  thing  will  he  withhold  from  them 
that  walk  uprightly."  "  My  God  shall  supply  all 
your  need,  according  to  his  rich'es  in  glory  by 
Christ  Jesus."  Further,  if  such  perfection  would 
be  a  good  to  us,  and  Christ  did  not  present 
himself  to  us  as  able  and  willing  to  meet  this  per- 
petual and  changeless  demand  of  our  being,  he 
would  be  to  us  an  imperfect  Saviour. 

If  such  perfection  is  not  a  good,  we  are  bound 
not  to  pray  for  or  to  aim  to  attain  it.  That  a 
state  of  perfect  moral  rectitude  would  be  a  good  to 
us,  for  the  glory  of  God,  and  for  the  good  of  the 
universe,  is  a  self-evident  truth.  It  is  also  demon- 
strably  evident,  from  the  fact,  that  it  is  required  of 


146  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

us  in  the  Bible ;  that  Christ  prayed  for  it  in  behalf 
of  Christians,  and  taught  them  to  pray  for  it ;  and 
that  such  motives  are  held  before  us  in  the  Bible, 
to  induce  in  us  this  perfect  obedience  to  God. 
We  are  bound,  then,  to  take  the  ground,  that  Chris- 
tian perfection  is  a  good,  and  consequently  attaina- 
ble ;  or,  that  it  is  not  a  good,  and  consequently, 
cease  to  aim  at  it,  or  pray  for  it. 

VI.  We  see,  also  how  it  is,  and  by  what  means, 
that  Satan  is  endeavoring  to  draw  Christians  away 
from  Christ.     It  is  by  tempting  them  to  believe, 
that  some  one  or  more  of  the  demands  of  their  being 
are  not  met  in  Christ ;  and  thus  to  draw  off  their 
hearts  from  him  to  some  other  object.     In  every 
instance  in  which  a  Christian  falls  into  sin,  he  does 
it  under  the  influence  of  some  such  temptation  as 
this.     For  the  time  being,  he  is  led  practically  to 
distrust  the  power  or  willingness  of  Christ  to  an- 
swer some  of  the  demands  of  his  nature.      To 
meet   this  demand,  the  individual  trespasses  the 
command  of  Christ. 

VII.  We  see,  also,  that  the    sentiment,  that 
Christ  is  not  both  able  and  willing  to  render  us, 
in  this  life,  perfect  in  holiness,  and  thus  meet  this 
great,  this  fundamental  demand  of  our  nature,  is 
directly  and  most  perfectly  adapted,  to  induce  dis- 


FULL   REDEMPTION.  147 

trust  in  him,  and  throw  the  mind  under  the  power 
of  the  great  enemy.  No  sentiment  can  be  con- 
ceived of,  which  is  more  perfectly  adapted  to  se- 
cure this  object,  than  the  one  under  consideration. 

VIII.  We  may  now  understand  the  full 
meaning  of  the  passage,  "  Christ  is  the  end  of 
the  law  for  righteousness  to  every  one  that 
believeth."  The  meaning  of  the  passage,  I  sup- 
pose to  be  this  :  Christ  accomplishes  in  and  for  the 
believer,  all  that  the  law  would  have  done,  had  he 
always  perfectly  obeyed  its  requisitions.  For  ex- 
ample, perfect  obedience  to  the  law  secures  to 
the  subject  a  full  exemption  from  all  condemna- 
tion, and  a  sure  title  to  the  protection  and  favor  of 
God.  This  the  Christian  enjoys  through  faith  in 
Christ.  Entire  obedience  to  the  law  would  have 
rendered  his  moral  character  absolutely  perfect, 
and  infinitely  lovely  and  excellent,  in  the  estima- 
tion of  God,  and  of  all  intelligent  beings.  A  char- 
acter equally  perfect,  lovely  and  excellent,  the 
believer  receives  through  implicit  faith  in  Christ. 
Further,  obedience  to  the  law  would  have  rendered 
the  believer  perfectly  blessed  in  the  love  and  favor 
of  God.  A  blessedness  equally  perfect  descends 
to  the  believer,  through  faith  in  Christ.  Again, 
obedience  to  the  law  would  have  secured  to  the 
believer  a  full  and  perfect  supply  of  every  neees- 


148  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

sity.  Every  demand  of  our  being  is  met  with 
equal  fulness  in  Christ.  All  that  the  law  would 
have  done  for  the  believer,  had  he  perfectly  obeyed 
its  requisitions,  Christ  does  for  him,  and  infinitely 
more. 

IX.  We  are  also  prepared  to  answer  an  objec- 
tion, which  is  sometimes  brought  to  the  doctrine 
maintained  in  these  discourses,  to  wit,  that  it  tends 
to  dishonor  the  law  by  lowering  the  standard  of 
moral  obligation.  When  I  hear  this  objection,  I  am 
often  reminded  of  a  declaration  made  to  Paul,  by 
a  fellow  apostle ;  "  Thou  seest,  brother,  how  many 
thousands  of  Jews  there  are,  that  believe;  and 
they  are  all  zealous  of  the  law."  But  how  a  law 
is  honored,  by  maintaining  that  the  subject  will 
never  obey  it,  is  more  than  I  can  understand.  And 
what  is  gained  by  elevating  the  standard  of  theo- 
retical, and  lowering  that  of  practical  attainment,  is 
equally  inexplicable  to  my  mind.  Christians 
should  also  understand,  that  in  their  zeal  to  ele- 
vate the  law,  they  may  limit  the  grace  of  God. 
To  place  the  law  far  above  the  provisions  and 
promises  of  Christ's  redemption,  confers  honor 
neither  upon  the  law  nor  Christ.  On  the  other 
hand,  "Christ  magnifies  the  law  and  makes  it 
honorable"  in  the  highest  sense  possible,  when, 
as  the  Mediator  of  the  new  covenant,  he  "  puts 


FULL   REDEMPTION.  149 

the  law  in  the  minds,  and  writes  it  in  the  hearts  " 
of  his  people,  and  brings  all  the  powers  of  their 
being  into  sweet  subjection  to  its  requisitions. 

X.  In  the  light  of  this  subject,  you  see,  Chris- 
tian, the  real  cause  of  every  sin  you  commit ;  of 
all  your  "care  and  trouble  about  the  many  things" 
of  this  life  ;  of  your  want  of  perpetual  peace  in 
God,  and  of  the  "  aching  void"  in  your  heart  in 
its  stead,  and  of  the  absence  of  that  state  of  perfect 
content,  which  arises  from  the  consciousness  that 
all  your  wants  are  met  in  Christ.     All  this  has  its 
origin   in   one  principle  exclusively,  unbelief— -a 
want  of  confidence  in  Christ  as  a  full  and  perfect 
Saviour.     Until  you  become  fully  sensible  of  this 
fact,  until  you  are  led  to  refer  all  your  particular 
sins,  all  your  carefulness  and  anxiety  about  your 
worldly  interest,  your  want  of  perfect  peace,  and 
every  improper  feeling  that  arises  in  your  mind, 
to  one  source,  unbelief,    you  'will  never  feel  as 
you  ought  the  "  exceeding  sinfulness  of  sin." 

XI.  We  may  understand  the  origin  and  cause  of 
the  profound  insensibility  and  hardness  of  heart,  in 
respect  to  the  love  of  Christ,  of  which  professors  of 
religion  so  commonly  complain.     These  facts  will 
sufficiently  account  for  this  state   of  gloom   and 
heartfelt  despondency — 1.  Christians  generally  are 


150  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

ignorant  of  the  fulness  of  that  redemption  which 
they  have  in  Christ.  Unbelief  has  taken  their 
Lord  away  from  their  hearts,  and  they  know  not 
where  it  has  laid  him.  The  secret  of  having  a 
heart  always  melted  with  love  and  tenderness,  is 
an  indwelling  Christ,  from  whose  fulness  our  cup 
of  blessedness  may  perpetually  flow.  2.  Another 
cause  of  the  state  under  consideration,  is  this — • 
The  fact  that  almost  every  Christian,  in  uniting 
with  the  Church,  took  upon  him  the  most  solemn 
covenant  and  vow  to  live  in  a  state  of  entire  con- 
secration to  Christ,  not  only  in  the  absence  of  all 
expectation  that  such  vow  would  be  kept,  but 
with  the  definite  belief  that  it  would  not  be  kept. 
With  such  a  vow  and  such  a  belief  lying  together 
upon  your  conscience,  Christian,  cease  to  wonder, 
that  your  heart  has  been  hardened  into  the  pro- 
foundest  insensibility  and  gloom.  3.  Another 
cause  of  this  state  of  things,  is  the  daily  habit  of 
praying  definitely"  for  a  state  of  entire  sanctifica- 
tion,  with  the  full  belief,  that  God  will  not  answer 
such  requests  by  the  bestowment  of  the  blessing 
prayed  for.  Let  me  beseech  you,  Christian,  as 
you  value  the  presence  and  favor  of  God,  as  you 
would  not  fasten  a  heart  of  stone  as  a  perpetual 
mill-stone  to  your  deathless  soul,  never  to  put  up 
such  a  prayer  again.  "  Be  ye  not  mockers,  lest 
your  bands  be  made  strong." 


FULL    REDEMPTION.  151 

XII.  Finally',  brethren,  seeing  we  have  such  a 
full  and  perfect  redemption  in  Christ,  "  What  sort 
of  persons  ought  we  to  be  in  all  holy  conversation 
and  godliness."  For  remaining  under  the  form  of 
sin,  we  have  no  excuse.  To  "  rejoice  in  the  Lord 
always,"  we  are  under  obligation  infinite.  "  The 
joy  of  the  Lord  is  our  strength."  To  be  free 
from  all  care ;  to  be  perpetually  peaceful  and 
blessed  in  Christ ;  to  "  show  forth  the  praises  of 
him  who  hath  called  us  out  of  darkness  into  his 
marvellous  light;"  to  breathe  his  spirit,  walk  in  his 
steps,  exemplify  his  virtues,  and  having  his  "joy 
fulfilled  in  us,"  is  our  high  privilege,  and  sacred 
duty.  "  Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door,  and  knock  ; 
if  any  man  will  hear  my  voice,  and  open  the  door, 
I  will  come  in  to  him,  and  sup  with  him,  and  he 
with  me." 


DISCOURSE    VI. 


SPECIAL  REDEMPTION. 

"And  we  have  known  and  believed  the  love  that  God  hath 
to  us." — 1  Johniv.  16. 

"  I  am  crucified  with  Christ — nevertheless  I  live  ;  yet  not 
I,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me  :  and  the  life  that  I  now  live  in  the 
flesh,  I  live  by  faith  on  the  Son  of  God,  who  loved  me,  and 
gave  himself  for  me." — Gal.  ii.  20. 

"  But  we  see  Jesus,  who  was  made  a  little  lower  .than  the 
angels,  for  the  suffering  of  death,  crowned  with  glory  and 
honor ;  that  he  by  the  grace  of  God  should  taste  death  for 
every  man." — Heb.  ii.  9. 

[The  last  clause  of  this  passage  might  more  properly  have 
been  rendered  thus — Because  that  he,  by  the  grace  of  God,  has 
tasted  death  for  every  man.'] 

"And  he  is  the  propitiation  for  our  sins ;  and  not  for  ours 
only,  but  also  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world." — 1  John  ii.  2. 

There  are  three  positions,  which  have  been 
taken  by  different  classes  of  Christians,  in  respect 
to  the  nature  and  extent  of  the  redemption  of 
Christ. 

1.  Christ  died  for  a  part  only  of  the  humarT\ 
race — the  elect.     This  is  called  limited  redemp-  I 
tion  or  atonement.     This  doctrine,  I  would  simply 
10 


154  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

remark,  is  positively  contradicted  by  the  passages 
cited  above,  and  stands  opposed  to  -the  whole 
aspect  of  the  gospel,  as  presented  in  the  Scrip- 
tures. 

2.  Christ  died  for  no  individuals  of  our  race  in 
particular,  but  for  all  in  general.     This  is  called 
general  atonement  or  redemption.     This  doctrine 
embodies  one  important  and  fundamental  element 
of  the  grace  of  the  gospel, — the  universality  of  its 
provisions.     It  fails,  however,  to  present  one  of  the 
most  interesting  and  important  features  of  the  pro- 
visions of  divine  grace,  as  we  shall  see,  when  we 
contemplate, 

3.  The  third  position  which  has  been  taken  in 
respect  to  the  subject  under  consideration,  which 
is  this,  That  Christ,  instead  of  dying  for  no  one 
in   particular,  died   for  every  man  in  particular. 
This   is    positively   affirmed   in    the    text.     "  He 
tasted  death  for  every   man."     "  He   loved   me, 
and  gave   himself  for  me."     The  redemption  of 
Christ  had  as  special  a  regard  to  each  individual, 
as  if  that  one  individual  was  alone  concerned  in  it. 
This- is  what  is  called  special  atonement  or  redemp- 
tion.    I  use  the  term  redemption  here,  not  in  its 
strict  theological  sense,  to  designate  the  accom- 
plishment of  the  provisions  of  mercy  in  the  actual 
salvation  of  the  sinner.     In  this  sense  of  the  term, 
redemption  is  limited  by  the  reception  of  grace 


SPECIAL    REDEMPTION.  155 

by  the  sinner.  I  use  the  term  to  designate  the  full 
and  special  provisions  which  Christ  has  made  for 
the  salvation  of  every  individual  of  our  race. 

My  object  in  the  present  discourse  is,  to  present 
to  the  contemplation  of  the  reader  the  special  re- 
demption of  Christ;  to  show  what  is  implied  in 
the  fact  that  Christ,  as  explained  above,  "  has  by 
the  grace  of  God  tasted  death  for  every  man." 
We  will  then  inquire,  What  is  implied  in 
"  knowing  and  believing  the  love  that  God  hath  to 
us." 

I.  What  is  implied  in  the  fact  that  Christ  has 
tasted  death  for  every  man  ?  It  implies — 

1.  That  in  assuming  the  work  of  our  redemp- 
tion, Christ  had  our  entire  condition  and  necessi- 
ties, as  sinners  and  as  creatures,  distinctly  before 
his  mind.     Otherwise,    he  could    not,   with   pro- 
priety, be  said  to  have  "  tasted  death,"  specifically 
"  for  every  man."     The  same  truth  is  also  implied 
in  the  fact,  that  Christ  is  omniscient,  and    must 
have  had  his  contemplation  turned  with  perfect 
distinctness  upon  the  entire  condition  and  necessi- 
ties  of   every    individual,  for   whose  redemption 
he  died. 

2.  That  the  object  of  Christ,  in   thus  tasting 
death  for  every  man,  was,  to  provide  a  redemption 
specifically  adapted  to  the  special  condition  and 


156  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

necessities  of  each  individual  for  whom  he  died. 
For  what  reason  should  he  taste  death  particularly 
for  each  individual,  if  this  was  not  his  object  ? 

3.  That  Christ  has  provided  for  each  individual 
of  our  race,  all  the  good  that  infinite  wisdom  could 
devise  and  infinite  love  desire.     In  short,  he  has 
accomplished  a  redemption  for  us,  which  covers 
our  entire  necessities  in  time  and  eternity.     This 
he  was  able  to  accomplish,  when  he  assumed  the 
work  of  our  redemption,  and  his  infinite  love  would 
not  permit  him  to  accomplish  less  than  this.     This 
was  the  work,  reader,  which  Christ  undertook  for 
you  and  me;  and  having  assumed  it,  he  never 
ceased  to  travail  in  the  greatness  of  his  strength, 
till  he  could  say,  "It  is  finished."     If  you  will 
believe  it,  such  is  the  "fullness"  which  you  have 
in  Christ. 

4.  That  Christ  has  rendered  the  attainment  of 
all  this  good  practicable  to  us;  that  is,  he  has  not 
only  provided  it  for  us,  but  proffered  it  to  us,  upon 
conditions  with  which  we  can  comply.     To  sup- 
pose that  he  has  offered  it  upon  other  conditions, 
is  to  accuse  him  of  mocking  our  misery  in  the 
most  flagrant  manner  conceivable,  i.  e.  providing 
for  creatures  blessings  infinite,  and  then  proffering 
them  upon  impracticable  conditions.     Instead  of 
doing  this,  Christ  has  presented  the  blessings  of 
his  redemption  to  us  upon  such  conditions,  that 


SPECIAL    REDEMPTION.  157 

there  is  an  infallible  certainty,  "  that  every  one 
that  will  ask  shall  receive,  that  he  that  will  seek 
shall  find,  and  that  to  him  that  knocketh  it  shall 
be  opened." 

The  attention  of  the  reader  is  now  invited  to  a 
few  particular  examples,  designed  still  further  to 
illustrate  the  fullness  and  speciality  of  Christ's  re- 
demption. 

1.  He  has  made  full  provision,  reader,  for  the 
entire  pardon  of  every  sin  that  you  ever  commit- 
ted.    As  your  mind  ranges  over  the  dark  catalogue 
of  past  transgressions,  remember  that  those  partic- 
ular sins  he  "  bore  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree." 
For  all  those  sins  which  rise  up  in  appalling  re- 
membrance before  you,  he  was    "  wounded  and 
bruised,"  so  that  by   "his   stripes  you   may  be 
healed."     He  has  made  such  perfect  provision  for 
the  forgiveness  of  each   and  every   sin   of  your 
entire  past  existence,  that  there  is  no  more  necessi- 
ty that  you  should  be  excluded  from  the  presence 
and  favor  of  God,  on  account  of  those  sins,  than 
there  is  that  the  purest  spirit  before  the  throne  of 
God  should  be  excluded. 

2.  Christ  has  provided  means  specifically  adapt- 
ed to  secure  your  entire  perfection  in  holiness.     He 
perfectly  understood  your  case  when  he  undertook 
the  work  of  your  redemption.     Every  obstacle  that 


158  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

lies  in  the  way  of  your  perfect  sanctification  was 
distinctly  before  his  mind,  and  he  has  provided 
means  fully  adequate,  and  specifically  adapted  to 
remedy  all  the  consequences  of  your  sins.  How- 
ever low  you  may  have  sunk  in  sin,  he  is  able 
to  lift  you  out  of  the  "horrible  pit  and  miry  clay." 
However  hard  your  heart  may  be,  he  can  take  it 
from  you,  and  give  you  a  heart  of  flesh  in  its 
stead.  However  firmly  fixed  your  habits  of  sin 
may  be,  he  can  break  them  all  up.  However 
strong  the  power  of  your  carnal  inclinations,  he 
can  subdue  them  all,  and  give  you  a  perfect  victory 
over  them.  Whatever  temptations  to  sin  beset 
you,  from  within  or  around  you,  he  can  give  you 
strength  to  endure  them.  The  means  to  accom- 
plish all  this,  and  specifically  adapted  to  your  par- 
ticular case,  are  all  provided  by  his  infinite  love. 
"  If  any  man  be  in  Christ  he  is  a  new  creature. 
Old  things  have  passed  away  ;  behold,  all  things 
have  become  new."  Why,  then,  should  you  re- 
main under  the  power  of  sin  ?  Why  should  you 
be  appalled  by  the  fixedness  of  your  habits  of  sin, 
by  the  strength  of  your  carnal  inclinations,  or  the 
multiplicity  and  power  of  the  temptations  which 
beset  you  ?  Christ  saw  all  these  when  he  assumed 
the  work  of  your  redemption.  For  all  these  he 
has  provided  a  specific  and  all-powerful  reme- 
dy. Go  to  Christ,  and  you  will  find  that  in 


SPECIAL    REDEMPTION.  159 

him  there  is  redemption  in  readiness  for  yon,  to 
render  you  "  perfect  and  complete  in  all  the  will 
of  God."  Clad  in  the  armor  of  righteousness, 
which  he  has  provided  for  you,  you  will  find  your- 
self able  to  stand  against  all  the  wiles  of  the 
wicked  one. 

3.  In  the  redemption  of  Christ,  there  is  special 
consolation  provided  for  all  the  particular  afflictions 
which  come  upon  you.     "  In  all  your  afflictions 
Christ   was    afflicted."     If  you   will   carry  your 
wounded  spirit  to  him,  he  will  bind  it  up,  however 
deep  and  multiplied   the    wounds  may  be.     No 
one  of  them  was  forgotten  by  your  Saviour,  when 
he  undertook  the  work  of  "  bearing  your  griefs, 
and  carrying   your   sorrows."     Balm  specifically 
adapted  to  heal  all  those  wounds  is  in  readiness  for 
you.     Whatever  the  particular  affliction  may  be, 
which  falls  upon  you  at  any  particular  time,  re- 
member that  that  affliction  with  all  its  peculiarities, 
has  been  specifically  provided  for  by  the  love  of 
Christ. 

4.  Whatever   the   sphere  in   life   may  be,   in 
which  you  may  at  any  time  be  called  to  move,  for 
you  Christ  has  provided  special  wisdom  to  meet 
all  the  exigencies  and  responsibilities  that  fall  upon 
you  in  that  sphere.     When  you  lack  wisdom,  go 
to  him,  and  he  will  "give  liberally  and  not  upbraid 
you."     The  means  to  do  it  are  all  provided. 


160  CHRISTIAN   PERFECTION. 

5.  Christ,  in  short,  has  made  ample  provision 
for  every  particular  necessity  which  may  come 
upon  you  in  time  and  eternity.  There  is  not  a 
solitary  want  of  yours,  throughout  the  endless 
future  beyond  you,  for  which  a  special  supply  is 
not  made  in  the  redemption  of  Christ.  For  you 
there  is  provided  a  seat  in  heaven,  a  robe  of  right- 
eousness, a  harp  of  gold,  a  crown  of  glory,  and  a 
special  place  in  the  centre  of  God's  heart  of  eternal 
love. 

Such  is  the  redemption  of  Christ.  1  might 
have  illustrated  the  sentiment  of  this  discourse,  by 
referring  to  other  particulars.  These  are  sufficient, 
however,  to  present  the  subject  with  entire  dis- 
tinctness to  the  contemplation  of  the  reader.  We 
will  now  inquire — 

II.  What  is  implied  in  our  knowing  and  believ- 
ing the  love  that  the  Father  hath  to  us.  This  im- 
plies three  things — 

1.  That  we  apprehend  that  love  as  it  is,  i.  e. 
the  infinite  love  of  God  in  giving  his  Son  to  make, 
by  his  incarnation  and  death,  such  full  and  special 
provisions  for  our  necessities. 

2.  That  we  credit  this  love  as  a  reality.     In  other 
words,  that  we  give  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  full 
credit  for  being  such  a  full  and  special  Saviour  as 
he  represents  himself  to  be. 


SPECIAL    REDEMPTION.  161 

3.  That  we  receive  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as 
such  a  Saviour,  and  yield  up  our  whole  being  to 
his  control,  that  he  may  accomplish  in  us  all  the 
purposes  of  his  infinite  and  special  love. 

And  now  let  me  ask  you,  reader,  do  you  believe 
with  all  your  heart,  that  Christ  is  in  reality  such 
a  Saviour  as  he  has  here  been  represented  ?  Do 
you  give  him  full  credit  for  having  "  loved  you  and 
given  himself  for  you,"  for  the  purpose  of  making 
such  full  and  special  provisions  for  your  entire  ne- 
cessities ?  Do  you  believe  that  for  you  he  tasted 
the  bitter  cup  of  death  ?  In  every  special  exigen- 
cy of  your  being,  can  you  look  to  him  with  the 
full  assurance  that  this  particular  exigency,  with  all 
its  peculiarities,  was  remembered  and  provided  for 
by  him,  when  he  was  "wounded  for  your  trans- 
gressions, and  bruised  for  your  iniquities  ?  "  Can 
you  reckon  yourself  among  the  number,  who  can 
say,  "  We  have  known  and  believed  the  love  that 
the  Father  hath  unto  us  ?  "  Do  you  believe  that 
Christ  has  provided  redemption  for  you — a  re- 
demption so  perfectly  and  specifically  adapted  to 
your  particular  case,  that  you  can  now  go  to  him 
and  be  cleansed  from  all  that  is  impure  and  unholy, 
and  so  transformed  into  his  likeness  that  your 
entire  character  shall  hereafter  present  a  pure  re- 
flection of  his  image.  Do  you  believe  that  you 
may  bring  to  him  your  temper,  your  appetites, 


162  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

your  propensities,  your  entire  habits,  and  have 
them  all  brought  into  sweet  subjection  to  the  will 
of  God  ?  Do  you  believe  that  in  him  there  is  a 
special  balm  for  every  wound  ;  relief  from  every 
care  ;  consolation  for  all  affliction ;  a  remedy  for 
every  ill ;  and  a  full  supply  for  every  specific  ne- 
cessity of  your  entire  existence  ?  Unless  you  be- 
lieve all  this,  and  your  heart  is  all  melted  into  love 
and  tenderness,  under  the  influence  of  that  belief, 
you  have  yet  to  learn  the  breadth,  and  depth,  and 
length,  and  height  of  the  love  of  Christ. 


REMARKS. 


I.  We  may  now  understand  the  nature  of  what 
may  be  called  appropriating  faith.  It  consists  in 
receiving  Christ,  and  relying  upon  him  as  our 
Saviour,  in  reference  to  all  our  particular  necessi- 
ties as  individuals.  As  the  creatures  of  God,  as 
sinners  against  his  holy  law,  we  have  our  particular 
duties,  spheres  of  action,  temptations,  trials,  afflic- 
tions and  necessities.  Now,  when  Christ  is  con- 
templated as  having  provided  a  redemption  for  us, 
specifically  adapted  to  our  special  exigencies,  and 
is  received  as  a  Saviour  to  meet  these  exigencies, 
then  we  exercise  towards  him  appropriating  faith. 
Then  we  appropriate  to  ourselves  the  special  re- 
demption that  he  has  provided  for  us. 


SPECIAL    REDEMPTION.  163 

II.  Here  I  may  be  permitted  to  allude  to  a  very 
common  mistake  among  Christians,  in  looking  to 
Christ  as  a  Saviour.     They  appear  to  look  to  him 
as  a  Saviour  in  general,  without  any  reference  to 
their  particular  necessities.     How  seldom  do  we 
meet  with  a  Christian,  for  example,  who  carries  to 
Christ  his  temper,  his  appetites,  his   habits  and 
propensities  of  every  kind,  which  lead  him  into 
sin,   to   have   them   all  corrected   and    subdued. 
Where  is  the  Christian,  who  is  accustomed  to  go  to 
Christ,  to  be  rendered  by  him  all  that  he  requires 
him  or  her  to  be  as  a  father,  a  mother,  a  child,  a 
brother,  or   sister,  or  in  special  reference  to  the 
business  transactions  of  life  ?     Now,  until  our  faith 
fastens  upon  Christ  with  reference  to  specific  ob- 
jects such  as  these,  the  power  of  his  redemption 
will  never  be  experienced.     From  our  sins  Christ 
does  not  and  cannot  save  us,  unless  by  faith  we 
thus  appropriate  the  provisions  of  his  redemption. 

III.  In  the  light  of  this  subject  we  may  also 
learn  what  Christ  requires  and  expects  of  us  as 
Christians.     To  present  this  part  of  the  subject 
distinctly  before  the  reader's  mind,  I  remark — 

1.  That  Christ  designs  and  expects  that  our 
religion  shall  be  carried  out  and  influence  us  alike 
in  all  the  scenes  and  transactions  of  life  ;  that  we 
shall  eat,  drink,  dress,  spend  our  time,  talents  and 


164  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

property,  transact  our  business,  and  move  in  every 
sphere  in  life,  with  exclusive  reference  to  the  same 
identical  objects  for  which  we  pray,  worship  God 
on  the  Sabbath,  warn  sinners  to  flee  from  the 
wrath  come,  or  partake  of  the  symbols  of  the 
body  and  blood  of  our  Lord.  "  Whether,  there- 
fore, ye  eat  or  drink,  or  whatsoever  ye  do,  do  all  to 
the  glory  of  God."  That  you  may  do  all  this ;  that 
holiness  to  the  Lord  may  be  inscribed  upon  all 
that  you  have  and  all  that  you  are,  full  provision  is 
made  in  the  redemption  of  Christ.  Hence — 

2.  He  requires  and  expects  that  you  will  believe 
that  special  grace  to  do  all  this  is  provided  for  you, 
and  that  you  will  look  to  him  to  be  rendered  thus 
"perfect  and  complete  in  all  the  will  of  God." 

3.  When  you  are  called  in  providence  to  move 
in  any  particular  sphere,  he  requires  and  expects 
that  your  first  object  will  be,  to  understand  clearly 
the  particular  responsibilities,  trials,    temptations, 
&c.,  incident  to  you  in  that  particular  sphere. 

4.  He  requires  and  expects  that  you  will  believe 
that   he,  as  your  Redeemer,  has  made  full  and 
special   provision  for  all  your  exigencies  in  that 
particular  sphere ;  and  that  in  the  exercise  of  full 
and  implicit  faith,  you  will  look  to  him  for  grace  to 
meet  those  exigencies. 

Such  are  some  of  the  requirements  and  expecta- 
tions of  Christ  from  us  as  Christians.     Here  let  me 


SPECIAL    REDEMPTION.  165 

add,  that  if  we  do  not  look  to  Christ  to  be  saved  by 
him,  in  every  sphere,  and  in  respect  to  every  trans- 
action in  life,  our  faith  does  not  fix  upon  him  at 
all  as  a  Saviour  from  sin.  I  would  also  add,  that 
if  Christ  does  not  save  us  by  subduing  our  tem- 
pers, controling  our  appetites  and  propensities,  by 
rendering  us  in  our  spheres  as  husbands  and  wives, 
parents  and  children,  in  every  sphere,  and  in  all 
the  particular  transactions  of  life,  what  he  requires 
us  to  be,  he  does  not  save  us  at  all.  The  man 
who  expects  to  be  a  Christian  in  his  closet  and 
upon  the  Sabbath,  and  a  man  of  the  world  behind 
his  counter,  in  his  shop,  or  on  his  farm,  will  find  at 
last  that  he  has  failed  of  the  grace  of  God. 

IV.  We  also  learn  the  nature  of  unbelief,  in  its 
most  common  form  in  the  Church.     It  is  with- 
holding from  Christ  implicit  confidence,  as  a  Sa- 
viour, who  has  provided  special  means  to  do  it, 
and  is  now  able  and  willing  to  meet  all  our  par- 
ticular necessities  as  individuals. 

V.  We   will   now  consider  some  of  the  most 
common  indications  of  unbelief.     Among  these,  I 
notice — 

1.  The  impression  which  individuals  have,  that 
there  are  peculiar  difficulties  in  their  case.  The 
redemption  of  Christ  appears  fully  adequate  to  the 


166  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

exigencies  of  every  other  individual  but  them- 
selves. Did  Christ,  reader,  in  tasting  death  for 
you,  overlook  the  special  peculiarities  of  your  con- 
dition ?  Or  had  he,  when  he  cried,  "  It  is  fin- 
ished," failed  to  make  full  provision  for  those 
peculiarities?  Why,  then,  permit  your  unbelief 
to  put  far  from  you  all  the  endless  provisions  of 
Christ's  redemption  ?  If  you  withhold  confidence 
from  Christ  as  an  ever  present  Saviour,  able  and 
willing  to  meet  all  the  peculiarities  of  your  condi- 
tion, you  do  it  at  the  peril,  yes,  to  the  certain  loss 
of  your  eternal  interests. 

2.  I  believe,  says  another,  that  Christ  has  pro- 
vided full  redemption  for  me,  a  redemption  which 
perfectly  covers  all  my  necessities ;  but  I  cannot 
exercise  faith  in  Christ.     Christ,  then,  has  pur- 
chased full  and  special  redemption  for  you,  but 
proffered  it  to  you  upon  conditions  with  which 
you  cannot  comply.     Why  let  unbelief  thus  fasten 
a  mill-stone  about  that  deathless  soul  of  yours  ! 

3.  My  heart,  says  another,  is  so  hard  and  insen- 
sible, that  nothing  in  the  universe  will  move  or 
melt   it.     Did    Christ,  in    tasting  death  for   you, 
overlook  that  heart  of  stone  in  your  bosom ;  and 
has  he  made  no  special  provision  to  take  it  out  of 
your  flesh,  and  give  in  its  stead  a  heart  of  flesh? 
Remember,  that  if  you  do  not  carry  this  very  heart 
to  Christ,  that  he  may  take  it  from  you,  and  if  you 


SPECIAL    REDEMPTION.  167 

do  not  exercise  special  faith  in  him  to  do  it,  he 
will  be  no  Saviour  to  you  in  any  sense  whatever. 

4.  Another  individual  complains  that  his  natural 
temper  is  so  ungovernable,  and  his  habits  of  sin  so 
omnipotent  in    their  influence  over  him,   that  it 
appears   to  him  that  there  can  be  no  redemption 
for  him,  at  least  in  this  life.     If  Christ  has  not 
provided  a  special  and  adequate  remedy  for  these 
evils,  and  if  your  faith  does  not  fasten  upon  that 
particular  remedy,  then  there  is  no  salvation  for 
you.     Christ  will  "  save  you  from   your  sins,"  or 
not  at  all.     Why  let  that  temper  and   those  habits 
drag  you  down  to  death,  when  Christ  has  made 
full  and  special  provision  for  their  perfect  subdual? 

5.  Another  individual  feels  that  he  cannot  be 
preserved  in  his  particular  sphere.     "  How  can  a 
person  be  kept  perfectly  free  from  sin,  says  one,  in 
the  midst  of  the  numberless  temptations  incident  to 
a  residence  in  a  great  city."     If  this  were  so,  I 
would  say,  "  Up,  get  ye  out  of  this  place."     It  is 
better  for  thee  to  "  enter  into  life,"  from  the  ob- 
scurest  and  most  barren    spot  on  earth,  than  to 
descend  into  the  lake  of  fire,  from  the  most  splen- 
did palace  or  city.     But  who  is  it  that  has  prom- 
ised that  he  will  not  "  suffer  you  to  be  tempted 
above  that  ye  are  able,  but  with   the  temptation 
will  make  a  way  for  your  escape,  that  ye  may  be 
able  to  bear  it?"     Who  is  the  strongest,  Chris- 


168  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

tian,  "  he  that  is  in  you,"  or  he  "  that  is  in  the 
world  ? " 

"Do  you  believe,"  said  a  mother,  "that  I 
can  be  preserved,  in  a  state  of  perfect  peace, 
in  the  midst  of  all  the  cares  and  perplexities 
of  this  great  family  ? "  Christ,  according  to  the 
suggestions  of  unbelief  in  the  mind  of  that  indi- 
vidual, had,  in  the  special  provisions  of  his  grace  for 
her,  overlooked  the  fact  that  she  was  to  be  the 
mother  of  a  large  family,  and  had  failed  to  provide 
a  special  remedy  for  all  the  cares  and  perplexities 
incident  to  her  lot  in  that  particular  sphere.  Sad 
indeed  was  her  condition,  if  that  were  really  the 
case. 

6.  It  does  not  appear,  says  another,  possible  that 
creatures  sunk  so  low  in  sin  as  we  are,  should  be 
raised  to  a  state  of  perfect  purity.  Did  you  acquire 
that  sentiment,  brother,  through  a  full  and  careful 
inquiry  into  the  nature  and  power  of  the  grace  of 
Christ  ?  Did  you  learn  it  from  a  prayerful  inves- 
tigation of  the  extent  of  the  provisions  and  prom- 
ises of  Christ's  redemption,  and  of  the  power  of 
Christ  himself  as  a  Saviour  ?  Is  that  grace  which 
has  the  power  to  change  a  rebel  into  a  friend,  insuf- 
ficient, if  applied  by  Christ  himself  for  the  pur- 
pose, to  change  partial  into  perfect  love  ?  What 
is  there  to  appal  us,  however  deep  and  settled  our 
habits  of  sin,  if  Christ  has  provided  the  means, 


SPECIAL    REDEMPTION.  169 

and  has  undertaken  to  accomplish  a  full  redemption 
from  all  iniquity* 

7.  If  I  could  only  see  someone  who  had  attain- 
ed to  a  state  of  entire  sanctification,  then  I  would 
believe  the  doctrine,     It  is^  very  doubtful  whether, 
if  such  a  case  were  actually  presented  to  a  person 
in  this  state  of  mind,  God  would  not  have  occasion 
to  say  unto  him,  "  I  work  a  work  in  your  day, 
which  ye  will  in  no  wise  believe,  though   a  man 
declare  it  unto  you."     Or  if  he  should  believe  it 
for  that  reason,  the  fact  itself  would  show  that  his 
faith  rests,  as  said  in  a  former  discourse,  upon  what 
he  sees,  and  not  upon  the  Word  of  God.     Which, 
reader,  have   you   taken,  "as   the  only  infallible 
rule  of  faith  and  practice,"  the  Word  of  God,  or 
the  attainments  of  men  ? 

8.  It  does  not  appear  to  me,  that  by  simply  be- 
lieving in  Christ,  says  another,  I  could  be  saved 
from  all  sin.     In  other  words,  the  declaration  of 
Christ,  "  He  that  believeth  in  me,  though  he  were 
dead,  yet  shall  he  live,"  does  not  appear  to  be  a 
reality.     Such  an  individual  ought  to  learn  another 
fact,  that  he   has  as   yet   experienced   but  very 
little  of  the  power   of  faith    in    his   own   heart. 
"Now  the  just  shall  live  by  faith."     "We  also 
believe,  and  therefore  speak." 

VI.  We  may  also  learn  the  influence  of  unbe- 
11 


170  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

lief.  It  annihilates  wholly  the  saving  influence  of 
the  gospel  upon  the  heart.  It  places  the  subject 
in  the  same  state  of  absolute  hopelessness  that  he 
would  be  in,  had  no  salvation  been  provided.  "If 
ye  believe  not  that  I  am  He,  ye  shall  die  in  your 
sins."  Whatever  necessity  presses  upon  us,  that 
necessity  remains  for  ever  unsupplied  till  faith 
fastens  upon  the  special  redemption  of  Christ,  as  an 
ever  present  and  all  powerful  remedy. 

VII.  We  may  now  understand  the  true  remedy 
for  spiritual  pride.  I  recollect  having  once  heard 
a  preacher,  in  a  public  address,  give  this  as  the  all 
powerful  corrective.  "  Let  a  person  keep  perpet- 
ually before  his  mind  the  standard  of  absolute  per- 
fection required  by  the  law  of  God,  and  let  it  be 
his  constant  aim  to  ascend  to  a  full  discharge  of 
every  duty  required  of  him.  Now  if,  while  he  is 
ascending  from  one  degree  to  another  toward  the 
point  of  perfect  holiness,  he  looks  down  and  re- 
flects upon  the  attainments  he  has  already  made,  he 
will  be  lifted  up  with  pride.  If,  on  the  other  hand, 
in  his  perpetual  ascent,  he  keeps  his  eye  steadily 
fixed  upon  the  point  above  him,  he  will  be  kept 
perpetually  humbled  in  view  of  constant  short 
comings."  The  remedy  was  received  by  the  au- 
dience with  unbounded  applause.  This  reflection, 
however,  forced  itself  upon  my  mind,  that  if  the 


SPECIAL    KEDEMPTION.  171 

speaker  was  in  the  same  state  of  mind  in  which 
Christians  generally  are,  he  was  not  a  little  ele- 
vated in  his  estimation  of  himself  by  the  beautiful 
remedy  which  he  had  proposed  for  spiritual  pride. 
And  what  a  thought  is  this ;  that  a  Christian  must 
not  obey  the  commands,  "  Search  your  own 
hearts,"  "  Examine  yourselves,  whether  ye  be  in 
the  faith ;  prove  your  own  selves,"  lest,  if  he  should 
find  that  he  had  attained  to  any  real  holiness,  he 
would  be  lifted  with  pride,  and  not  exclaim,  with 
adoring  gratitude,  "  By  the  grace  of  God  I  am 
what  I  am." 

VIII.  Now  the  apostle  has  proposed  a  very  dif- 
ferent remedy  for  spiritual  pride  from  the  one  under 
consideration,  which  is  the  one  commonly  proposed. 
"  Where  is  boasting,  then  ?  It  is  excluded.  By 
what  law  ?  Of  works  ?  Nay ;  but  by  the  law  of 
faith."  Suppose  that  an  individual  becomes  fully 
conscious  that,  in  consequence  of  his  own  reckless 
folly,  he  has  involved  himself  in  infinite  guilt  and 
hopeless  bondage  under  sin,  that  Christ,  of  his 
self  moved  goodness  and  mercy,  has  made  full 
provision  to  meet  all  his  necessities  as  a  sinner;  that 
by  implicit  faith  in  Christ,  he  enjoys  full  redemp- 
tion from  the  power  and  consequences  of  sin,  and 
that  the  moment  his  faith  loses  its  hold  of  Christ, 
he  falls  into  the  same  hopeless  guilt  and  bondage 
as  before.  When  the  man  finds  himself  rising  in 


172  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

spiritual  attainments,  under  the  influence  of  such  a 
principle,  to  whom  \vill  he  spontaneously  ascribe 
all  the  glory  of  his  salvation.  "  To  him  that  loved 
us,  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood." 
The  fact  that  Christians  generally  cannot  conceive 
themselves  to  have  ascended  in  spiritual  attain- 
ment, at  all  above  the  common  level,  without 
pride  ol  heart,  is  to  my  mind  full  demonstration  of 
the  fact,  that  they  yet  need  to  be  taught  what  are 
the  "  first  principles  "  of  holy  living.  "  The 
righteousness  which  is  of  faith"  excludes  all  boast- 
ing of  every  kind. 

IX.  You  learn,  Christian,  to  what  to  attribute 
every  act  of  sin,  and  all  your  care,  and  trouble, 
and  perplexity,  about  the  "  many  things  "  of  this 
life.     All  these,  together  with  every  wrong  feel- 
ing which  arises  in  your  mind,  have  their  origin  in 
one  source  exclusively — unbelief;  a  want  of  con- 
fidence in  that  special  redemption  of  Christ,  wrhich, 
but  for  unbelief,  would  meet  every  possible  exigen- 
cy of  our  whole  existence. 

X.  We  see,  also,  how  it  is  that  most  Christians 
lose  the  presence  of  Christ  under  the  pressure  of 
business,  when  on  a  journey,  or  when  brought  into 
any  scenes  to  which  they  have  not  before  been  ac- 
customed.    In  such  circumstances,  they  do  not  look 


SPECIAL    REDEMPTION.  173 

to  Christ,  for  the  special  grace  which  he  has  pro- 
vided, to  meet  such  exigencies.  O  that  Christians 
would  take  this  promise  with  them  every  where. 
"As  thy  day  is,  so  shall  thy  strength  be."  "  Then 
would  their  peace  be  like  a  river,  and  their  right- 
eousness as  the  waves  of  the  sea." 

XL  We  also  understand  the  secret  of  always 
having  a  heart  melted  with  love  and  tenderness. 
It  consists  in  a  full  sense  of  our  own  infinite  guilt 
and  vileness,  of  the  boundless  love  of  Christ,  in 
making  such  full  and  perfect  provision  for  our 
entire  necessities,  and  as  being  ever  present  in 
our  hearts,  to  confer  upon  us  the  full  benefits  of 
this  eternal  redemption.  "  Behold  what  manner 
of  love  the  Father  hath  bestowed  upon  us,  that 
we  should  be  called  the  children  of  God  !  "  Such 
a  thought,  when  it  once  takes  full  possession  of 
the  mind,  has  omnipotent  power  to  melt  the  heart, 
and  cause  its  purest,  sweetest,  and  best  affections 
to  roll  for  ever  around  one  "  blissful  centre." 

XII.  We  now  understand  the  reason  why  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  declared  "the  kingdom  to  be 
like  leaven,  which  a  woman  took  and  hid  in  three 
measures  of  meal,  till  the  whole  were  leavened." 
The  thought  here  presented,  in  its  application  to 
Christians,  is  this :  When  the  kingdom  of  heaven 


174  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

is  once  set  up  in  the  heart  of  an  individual,  it  will 
lead  directly  on  to  an  entire  subjection  of  all  the 
powers  and  principles  of  his  being  to  its  divine 
control.  The  reason  is  this.  For  our  entire  re- 
demption from  sin,  into  a  state  of  perfect  moral 
purity,  the  gospel  has  made  full  provision.  For 
every  sinful  habit  and  propensity,  for  every  incen- 
tive to  sin,  it  presents  a  specific  and  all-powerful 
remedy,  through  faith  in  Christ.  Who  that  hates 
sin,  and  loves  holiness  supremely,  will  remain 
under  the  power  of  the  former,  and  destitute  of  the 
fulness  of  the  latter,  under  such  circumstances  ? 

XIII.  We  see  also  the  reason  of  Christ's  de- 
claration ;  "And  this  is  life  eternal,  that  they 
might  know  thee,  the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus 
Christ,  whom  thou  hast  sent."  Suppose,  Chris- 
tian, that  you  could  apprehend  the  excellence  and 
love  of  Christ,  as  fully  as  your  capacities  will 
permit ;  suppose  you  could  apprehend  the  fulness  of 
his  special  love  to  you,  and  to  every  other  individ- 
ual of  our  race  ;  that  you  could  apprehend  him  as 
ever  present  with  you,  to  meet  your  entire  necessi- 
ties in  time  and  eternity ;  suppose  you  could  ap- 
prehend him  in  all  his  relations  to  you,  as  your 
God,  and  Saviour,  and  you  could  be  fully  assured, 
that,  through  his  love,  every  attribute  of  the  God- 
head stands  pledged  for  your  present  and  eternal 


SPECIAL    REDEMPTION.  175 

well-being  ;  to  know  Christ  in  this  manner,  and  to 
have  all  the  powers  of  your  being  moving  perpet- 
ually under  the  influence  of  his  infinite  love,  this 
would  indeed  be  life  eternal.  To  be  in  this  state 
is*  your  high  and  blessed  privilege.  To  pre- 
sent this  love  to  you  in  all  its  fulness,  God  has 
given  you  his  Holy  Spirit.  If  you  will  look  to 
that  spirit  to  be  "  strengthened  with  might  in  the 
inner  man,"  for  this  specific  object,  "that the  love 
of  Christ  may  dwell  richly  in  your  heart  by  faith," 
you  will  then  be  able  to  "  comprehend,  with  all  the 
saints,  what  is  the  breadth,  and  length,  and  depth, 
and  height,  and  to  know  the  love  of  Christ,  which 
passeth  knowledge,  that  ye  may  be  filled  with  all 
the  fulness  of  God." 

XIV.  Finally,  we  may,  in  the  light  of  this  dis- 
course, understand  the  secret  of  the  pre-eminent 
piety  of  Paul  and  of  primitive  Christians.  It  is 
all  explained  in  one  single  expression  of  the  sacred 
writer.  "  Looking  unto  Jesus,  the  author  and  fin- 
isher of  our  faith."  At  all  times,  and  under  all 
circumstances,  they  "knew  nothing  -but  Jesus 
Christ,  and  him  crucified."  They  literally  "count- 
ed all  things  but  loss,  for  the  excellency  of  the 
knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus  their  Lord."  He 
was  their  "  wisdom,"  their  "  righteousness,"  their 
*'  sanctificadon,"  and  "  redemption."  He  was 


176  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

their  consolation  in  every  affliction.  He  was  their 
perfect  pattern,  their  sole  leader  and  guide.  He 
was  their  certain  victory,  in  every  conflict  with  the 
"  world,  the  flesh,  and  the  devil."  He  was  their 
joy,  their  hope,  their  inheritance,  their  shield,  and 
their  "  exceeding  great  reward."  He  was  their 
"bright  and  morning  star,"  the  magnet  of  their 
souls,  which  held  all  the  powers  of  their  being  in  a 
blissful  fixedness  to  one  changeless  centre. 

Now,  Christian,  if  you  will  believe  it,  Christ 
will  be  to  you  all  that  he  was  to  them.  "  He  is 
the  same  yesterday,  to-day  and  for  ever,"  and  you 
may  share  as  fully  as  they  did,  in  the  infinite  ful- 
ness of  the  love  and  grace  of  Christ.  If,  however, 
you  would  enjoy  this  full  redemption,  all  the  pow- 
ers of  your  being  must  be  brought  under  the  per- 
petual influence  of  this  one  principle,  "  Looking  to 
Jesus."  Do  your  sins  rise  up  before  you,  and  fill 
you  with  apprehensions  of  coming  retributions, 
"  look  to  Jesus."  Do  you  desire  to  be  wholly 
freed  from  the  power  of  sin,  and  to  have  your 
entire  character  presented  to  God,  "without  spot 
or  wrinkle,  or  any  such  thing,"  "  look  to  Jesus." 
Are  you  burdened  with  care,  or  do  the  storms  of 
affliction  gather  around  you,  "  look  to  Jesus." 
Is  your  temper  unsubdued,  do  your  appetites  and 
propensities  rebel,  and  call  for  unhallowed  gratifica- 
tion, "  look  to  Jesus."  Do  temptations  beset  you, 


SPECIAL    REDEMPTION.  177 

from  within  or  around  you,  "  look  to  Jesus."  Do 
you  need  wisdom  and  grace  for  any  exigency  what- 
ever, "  look  to  Jesus.  Whatever  your  condition 
or  necessities  may  be,  hear  his  gracious  voice — 
"  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy 
laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest.  Take  my  yoke 
upon  you  and  learn  of  me,  for  I  am  meek  and 
lowly  in  heart,  and  ye  shall  find  rest  to  your  souls." 

"  Jesus,  we  come  at  thy  command, 
With  faith,  and  hope,  and  humble  zeal ; 
Resign  our  spirits  to  thy  hand, 
To  mould,  and  guide  us  at  thy  will." 


DISCOURSE  VII. 


EXCEEDING  GREAT  AND  PRECIOUS  PROMISES, 

"  Whereby  are  given  unto  us  exceeding  great  and  precious 
promises ;  that  by  these  ye  might  be  partakers  of  the  divine 
nature,  having  escaped  the  corruption  that  is  in  the  world 
through  lust.'?— 2  Pet.  i.  4. 

In  the  verse  preceding,  we  are  informed,  that 
God,  in  giving  us  a  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ,  has 
furnished  us  with  a  knowledge  of  every  thing  which 
"  pertains  to  life  and  godliness."  In  the  text,  we 
are  informed,  that  in  the  same  revelation  he  has 
given  unto  us  "  exceeding  great  and  precious 
promises ; "  that  these  promises  are  conferred  upon 
us  for  this  purpose,  that  through  them,  or  by  em- 
bracing them  by  faith,  we  may  become  "  partakers 
of  the  divine  nature,"  and  escape  the  "  corruption 
that  is  in  the  world  through  lust."  A  promise  is 
a  pledge  of  good.  In  every  promise  of  divine 
grace,  Christ  discloses  to  us  the  good  which  he 
stands  pledged  to  confer  upon  us,  on  condition 
that  we  look  to  him  by  faith,  for  the  blessing  pre- 
sented in  the  promise.  Now  the  success  of  all  our 


180  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

• 

efforts  after  holiness,  depends  upon  the  use  we 
make  of  the  promises.  I  propose,  therefore,  in 
the  following  discourse,  to  illustrate  the  following 
propositions. 

I.  I  will  present   to  the  contemplation  of  the 
reader,  some  of  the  "  exceeding  great  and  precious 
promises  "  of  divine  grace. 

II.  Show  what  is    implied   in   our    becoming 
^partakers  of  the  divine  nature,  having  escaped 
the   corruptions  that   are  in   the   world   through 
lust." 

III.  Show  the  manner  in  which  the  promises 
must  be  used,  in  order  that  we  may  obtain  ,the 
good  which  they  present  to  us. 

I.  I  am  to  present  to  the  contemplation  of  the 
reader,  some  of  the  exceeding  great  and  precious 
promises  of  divine  grace.  As  much  that  I  should 
otherwise  say  upon  this  part  of  our  subject,  has 
been  anticipated  in  preceding  discourses,  my  re- 
marks under  this  head  will  be  very  brief.  In 
presenting  the  reader  with  a  slight  view  of  these 
•"  exceeding  great  and  precious  promises,"  I  would 
remark  in  general,  that  Christ  has  pledged  to  us 
an  eternal  exemption  from  all  that  would  be  to  us, 
on  the  whole,  a  real  evil,  and  the  possession  of 
every  thing,  in  time  and  eternity,  the  possession  of 
which  would  be  to  us  a  real  blessing.  "  Not  a  hair 


PROMISES;  181 

of  your  head  shall  perish."  "And  nothing  shall 
by  any  means  hurt  you."  "  No  good  thing  will 
be  withhold  from  them  that  walk  uprightly." 
These  promises  belong  alike  to  all  Christians  in  all 
ages  and  circumstances.  For  their  fulfilment,  they 
are  required,  with  full  and  humble  confidence,  to 
cast  themselves  upon  the  power  and  faithfulness 
of  Christ.  But  to  be  more  particular,  I  remark — 

1.  That  Christ  has  promised  to  all  who  will 
believe  in  him,  an  eternal  exemption  from  all  the 
condemnation  which  they  deserve,  on  account  ef 
their  sins,  and   which  actually  will  fall  upon  the 
wicked.     "My  sheep  hear  my  voice,  and  I  know 
them,  and  they  follow  me ;  And  I  give  unto  them 
eternal  life ;  and  they  shall  never  perish,  neither 
shall  any  pluck  them  out  of  my  hand."     "Verily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  you,  He  that  heareth  my  words, 
and  believeth  on  Him  that  sent  me,  hath  everlast- 
ing life,  and  shall  not  come  into  condemnation ; 
but  is  passed  from  death  unto  life."     "  There  is 
therefore  now  no  condemnation  to  them  that  are 
in  Christ  Jesus." 

2.  A  sure  title  to  all  the  blessedness  enjoyed  by 
the  pure  spirits  around  the  throne  of  God.     "  Ye 
are    come," — "to    an    innumerable   company  of 
angels,  and  to  the  general  assembly  and  church  of 
the  first  born,  which  are  written  in  heaven."     "I 
give  unto  them  eternal  life,  and  they  shall  never 


182  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

perish."     "  Who  shall  separate  us  from  the  love  of 
God?" 

3.  Entire  freedom  from  all  sin,  and  the  transform- 
ation of  our  entire  character  into  a  likeness  to  his 
own.     "  I,"   says   Christ,    "  will   sprinkle   clean 
water  upon  you,  and  ye  shall  be  clean ;  from  all 
your  filthiness,  and  from  all  your  idols  will  I  cleanse 
you."     "And  thou  shalt  call  his  name  JESUS  :  for 
he  shall  save  his  people  from  their  sins."     "  But 
we  all  with  open  face  beholding  as  in  a  glass  the 
glory  of  the  Lord,  are  changed   into  the  same 
image  from  glory  to  glory,  even  as  by  the  spirit  of 
the  Lord."     This  is  held  before  us  as  a  promise. 
Such  a  change  Christ  stands  pledged  to  produce 
in  us,  if  we  will  believe  in  him. 

4.  He  promises  to  subdue  our  lusts  and  propen- 
sities, to  guard  us  against  all  temptation  to  sin  from 
within  or  around  us,  and  to  give  us  a  full  and  per- 
fect victory  over  "  the  world,  the  flesh,  and  the 
devil."     "  If  Christ  be  in  you,  the  body  is  dead 
because  of  sin."     "  Walk  in  the  spirit  and  ye  shall 
not  fulfil  the  lusts  of  the  flesh."     "  If  any  man  be 
in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature ;  old  things  are 
passed  away;  behold  all  things  have  become  new." 
"  This  is  the  victory  that  overcometh  the  world, 
even  our  faith."     "  Fear  not,  I  have  overcome  the 
world."     "  He  is  able  to  succor  them  that  are 
tempted."      "  Who   will  not  suffer  you   to  be 


PROMISES.  183 

tempted  above  that  ye  are  able ;  but  will  with  the 
temptation  make  a  way  to  escape,  that  ye  may  be 
able  to  bear  it." 

5.  Consolation    in    every   affliction.       "  The 
spirit  of  the  Lord  God  is  upon  me ;  because  the 
Lord  hath  anointed  me  to  preach  good  tidings  to 
the  meek ;  He  hath  sent  me  to  bind  up  the  broken- 
hearted, to  proclaim  liberty  to  the  captives,  and  the 
opening  of  the  prison  to  them  that  are  bound ;  to 
comfort  all  that  mourn ;  to  appoint  unto  them  that 
mourn  in  Zion,  to  give  unto    them   beauty  for 
ashes,  the  oil  of  joy  for  mourning,  the  garment  of 
praise  for  the  spirit  of  heaviness."     "  Come  unto 
me  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I 
will  give  you  rest." 

6.  The  constant  fruition  of  the  divine  presence 
and  love,  and  all  the  blessedness  which  he  himself 
enjoys,  as  far  as  our  capacities  will  permit.     "  We 
will  come  and  make  our  abode  with  him."     "  I 
will  dwell  in  them,  and  walk  in  them."     "  Peace  I 
leave  with  you,  my  peace,"  i.  e.  the  peace  which  I 
enjoy,  "  I  give  unto  you."     "  That  they  might  have 
my  joy  fulfilled  in  themselves."     "  The  peace  of 
God  which  passeth  all  understanding  shall  keep 
your  heart  and  mind  through  Christ  Jesus." 

7.  The  privilege  of  going  to  God,  at  all  times 
and  under  all  circumstances,  in  prayer,  with  the 
use  of  Christ's  name,  and  with  the  certain  pledge 


184  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

that  whatsoever  we  thus  ask,  that  will  be  a  good  to 
us,  shall  be  granted.  "  If  ye  abide  in  me,  and  my 
words  abide  in  you,  ye  shall  ask  what  ye  will,  and 
it  shall  be  done  unto  you."  "  If  ye  shall  ask  any 
thing  in  my  name,  I  will  do  it."  "Ask  and  it 
shall  be  given  you,  that  your  joy  may  be  full." 

8.  The  constant  presence  and  illumination  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.     "  He  shall  abide  with  you  for  ever." 
"  He  shall  lead  you  into  all  truth."     "  He  shall 
take  of  mine  and  show  them  unto  you." 

9.  Not  merely  grace  to  make  us  holy  and  keep 
us  from  all  sin,  but  an  infinite  reward  for  every 
expression  of  love  that  he  shall  receive  from  us, 
and  every  act  of  obedience  that  we  shall  render  to 
him.     "And  every  one  that  hath  forsaken  houses, 
or  brethren,  or   sisters,  or  father,  or  mother,  or 
wife,  or  children,  or  lands   for  my  name's  sake, 
shall  receive  a  hundred  fold,  and  shall  inherit  ever- 
lasting life.     And  whosoever  shall  give  to  drink 
unto  one  of  these  little  ones,  a  cup  of  cold  water 
only,  in  the  name  of  a  disciple,  verily  I  say  unto 
you,  he  shall  in  no  wise  lose  his  reward."     Such 
is  the  infinite  and  incomprehensible  love  and  grace 
of  Christ.     By  his  grace  we  are  rendered  holy, 
and  are  then  to  be  rewarded  infinitely  for  being 
what  the  grace  of  Christ  has  rendered  us. 

10.  Great  success  in  our  efforts  to  advance  his 
cause.     "  He  that  abideth  in  me,  and  I  in  him,  the 


PROMISES.  185 

same  bringeth  forth  much  fruit."  "  Verily,  verily, 
I  say  unto  you,  He  that  believeth  on  me,  the 
works  that  I  do  shall  he  do  also ;  and  greater  works 
than  these  shall  he  do;  because  I  go  to  my  Father." 
Christ  has  not  only  promised  to  render  us  thus 
successful,  but  to  bestow  an  infinite  and  eternal 
reward  upon  us  for  all  that  we  accomplish  for  him. 
"  They  that  be  wise  shall  shine  as  the  brightness 
of  the  firmament,  and  they  that  turn  many  to  right- 
eousness, as  the  stars  for  ever  and  ever.' ' 

1 1.  Christ  promises  to  us  a  peaceful  death,  and 
a  glorious  immortal'.ty.  "  Mark  the  perfect  man, 
and  behold  the  upright ;  for  the  end  of  that  man 
is  peace."  "  I  will  come  again  and  receive  you 
to  myself,  that  where  I  am,  there  ye  may  be  also." 
"  We  know  that  when  he  shall  appear,  we  shall  be 
like  him  ;  for  we  shall  see  him  as  he  is."  "And 
there  shall  be  no  more  curse :  but  the  throne  of 
God,  and  of  the  Lamb  shall  be  in  it ;  and  his  ser- 
vants shall  serve  him  ;  And  they  shall  see  his  face ; 
and  his  name  shall  be  in  their  foreheads." 

Such  are  the  promises  of  Christ  to  his  people. 
And,  reader,  are  not  these  promises  "  exceeding 
great  and  precious?"  To  you  they  all  belong; 
and  Christ  invites  you  to  come  to  him,  and  receive 
your  purchased  and  promised  inheritance.  We 
will  now  inquire — 
12 


186  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

II.  What  is  implied  in  our  being  "made  par- 
takers of  the  divine  nature,  having  escaped  the 
corruption  that  is  in  the  world  through  lust."  This 
implies  two  things. 

1.  That  we  become  entirely  emancipated  from 
the  power  of  sin.     No  person,  not  thus  emanci- 
pated, but  still,  in  any  degree,  under  the  power  of 
sin,  could  be  said  to  have  "  escaped   the  corrup- 
tion that  is  in  the  world  through  lust." 

2.  It  implies  that  we,  to  the  full  extent  of  our 
powers,  be  rendered  partakers  of  the  holiness  and 
blessedness  of  God.     This  is  the  only  sense   in 
which  any  intelligent  being  can  be  a  partaker  of 
the  divine  nature.  "  But  he,"  says  the  apostle,  "for 
our  profit,  that  we  might  be  partakers  of  his  holi- 
ness."    To  be  partakers  of  the  divine  holiness, 
and  consequently  of  the  divine  blessedness,  is  of 
course  the  same  thing  as  to  be  rendered  partakers 
of  the  divine  nature. 

That  we  might  thus  escape  the  corruptions  that 
are  in  the  world,  and  be  "  made  partakers  of  the 
divine  nature,"  is  the  declared  object  for  which 
the  "  exceeding  great  and  precious  promises"  were 
given.  When  we  come  to  Christ  by  faith  for 
a  fulfilment  of  these  promises,  his  power  stands 
pledged  to  fulfil  in  us  the  glorious  object  for  which 
they  were  given. 


PROMISES.  187 

Suppose,  reader,  that  you  were  introduced  with- 
in the  veil  of  eternity,  and  were  permitted  to  look 
down  into  the  gulf  of  death,  until  you  should 
fully  apprehend  the  infinite  wretchedness  of  a  lost 
spirit,  as  he  wanders  on  through  ceaseless  ages, 
amid  the  gloom  and  despair  of  the  eternal  sepul- 
chre :  suppose  you  were  then  permitted  to  raise 
your  vision  to  those  infinite  heights  of  purity  and 
blessedness  to  which  redeemed  spirits  in  heaven 
will  ascend,  as  eternity  rolls  on  its  endless  years. 
While  these  depths  of  gloom  and  heights  of  bliss 
were  distinctly  before  your  mind,  suppose  Christ 
should  pledge  himself  to  you,  that  he  would  free 
you  from  all  exposure  to  the  former,  and  give  you  a 
sure  title  to  the  full  possession  of  the  latter.  What 
an  "  exceeding  great  and  precious  promise  "  that 
would  be !  Such  is  the  promise  of  Christ  now 
before  you.  "  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  for- 
get not  all  his  benefits."  I  am  now — 

III.  To  show  the  manner  in  which  we  are  to 
us  e  the  promises,  in  order  that  we  may  obtain  the 
good  which  they  present  to  us.  As  the  design  of 
the  promises  is  to  free  us  from  the  "  corruptions 
that  are  in  the  world,"  and  render  us  "  partakers 
of  the  divine  nature,"  they  are  addressed  and 
adapted  to  every  possible  condition  in  which  we 
may  be  placed,  and  as  a  remedy  for  every  evil, 


188  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

natural  and  moral,  in  which  we  may  be  involved. 
They  descend  to  the  sinner  in  the  lowest  depths 
of  guilt  and  depravity,  for  the  purpose  of  lifting 
him  out  of  the  "  horrible  pit  and  miry  clay,"  and 
rendering  him  a  partaker  of  the  "  divine  nature." 
They  meet  the  Christian  in  a  state  of  partial  holi- 
ness, for  the  purpose  of  raising  him  to  a  state  of 
"  perfect  love,"  and  then  of  carrying  him  upward 
and  onward,  from  glory  to  glory,  through  time  and 
eternity.  Now,  to  use  the  promises  so  as  to  be- 
come possessed  of  the  blessings  which  they  proffer 
to  us,  four  things  are  necessary — 1.  That  we 
know  our  need.  2.  That  we  apprehend  the  par- 
ticular promise  of  Christ,  which  was  designed  to 
meet  that  particular  necessity.  3.  That  we  repose 
full  confidence  in  Christ's  ability  and  faithfulness  to 
fulfil  the  promise  which  he  has  spread  before  us. 
4.  That  we  cast  our  whole  being  upon  him  for  the 
specific  purpose  of  securing  a  fulfilment  of  the 
particular  promise  before  us.  For  example,  the 
sinner  is  brought  to  feel  himself  to  be  in  a  lost 
condition.  Here  he  is  met  with  the  declaration  of 
Christ,  "  I  came  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which 
was  lost ; "  together  with  the  promises,  "  Look  to 
rne  and  be  ye  saved."  "  Whosoever  cometh  to 
me,  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out."  Let  the  sinner 
cast  himself  at  once  upon  Christ,  for  the  definite 
purpose  of  securing  a  fulfilment  of  those  specific 


PROMISES.  189 

promises.  Are  you  in  darkness,  reader,  go  direct- 
ly to  Christ  for  the  fulfilment  of  the  promise, 
"  I  will  lead  the  blind  by  a  way  which  they  know 
not."  Is  your  heart  hard  and  unfeeling,  go  to  Christ 
with  the  definite  promise,  "  I  will  take  the  heart 
of  stone  out  of  your  flesh,  and  will  give  you  a 
heart  of  flesh,"  and  cast  yourself  upon  his  faith- 
fulness for  the  fulfilment  of  that  promise.  Are 
your  appetites,  or  your  propensities,  the  "  occasion 
of  stumbling  "  to  you  ;  carry  these  particular  ob- 
jects to  Christ,  and  plead  the  definite  promises, 
"  If  Christ  be  in  you,  the  body  is  dead,  because  of 
sin,"  and  "  If  any  man  be  in  Christ  he  is  a  new 
creature ;  old  things  have  passed  away  ;  behold, 
all  things  have  become  new."  Do  temptations 
beset  you,  go  to  Christ  with  the  promise,  "  Who 
will  not  suffer  you  to  be  tempted  above  that  you 
are  able ;  but  will  with  the  temptation  make  a  way 
for  your  escape,  that  ye  may  be  able  to  bear  it."3 
Are  you  about  to  enter  into  new  and  untried  scenes 
or  spheres  of  action,  go  to  Christ  with  the  specific 
promises,  "  Lo,  I  am  with  you  always,"  and 
"My  grace  is  sufficient  for  thee."  Are  you 
"  hungering  and  thirsting  after  righteousness,"  this 
promise  you  may  now  plead  with  Christ,  "  they 
shall  be  filled."  Does  the  water  of  life  begin  to 
flow  in  your  heart,  this  promise  now  rises  before 
you,  "  Whosoever  drinketh  of  the  water  that 


190  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

I  shall  give  him,  shall  never  thirst ;  but  the  water 
that  I  shall  give  him  shall  be  in  him  a  well  of  water 
springing  up  into  everlasting  life."  In  short, 
whatever  your  condition  or  state  of  mind  may  be, 
remember  that  there  you  are  addressed  by  your 
Saviour,  with  some  specific  promise,  perfectly 
adapted  to  your  peculiar  case.  Your  life  depends 
upon  your  casting  yourself  at  once  upon  the  faith- 
fulness of  Christ  for  a  fulfilment  of  that  promise. 
In  so  using  the  "  exceeding  great  and  precious 
promises,"  you  may  with  absolute  certainty  be 
rendered  a  "  partaker  of  the  divine  nature,  having 
escaped  the  corruption  that  is  in  the  world  through 
lust." 

REMARKS. 

I.  We  will  notice  the  great  truth,  of  which  we 
need  to  have  a  full  and  distinct  apprehension,  in 
order  that  all  the  promises  may  rise  before  our 
minds  as  living  realities.  It  is  the  infinite  love  of 
God  in  the  gift  of  Christ  for  our  redemption.  In 
Christ,  "  all  the  promises  are  yea  and  Amen." 
"  He  that  spared  not  his  own  Son,  but  delivered  him 
up  for  us  all,  how  shall  he  not  with  him,  freely 
give  us  all  things."  For  the  want  of  such  an 
apprehension  of  the  love  of  Christ,  the  promises 


PROMISES.  191 

are,  to  the  great  mass  of  the  Church,  almost  as  a 
"  dead  letter." 

JI.  We  notice  one  of  the  first  lessons  which 
should  be  taught  to  the  young  convert.  He  should 
first  of  all  use  the  promises  as  a  sovereign  remedy 
to  every  ill  that  may  press  upon  him.  Let  his  eye 
be  directed  to  these ;  let  him  become  accustomed 
to  apply  to  them  in  every  possible  exigency,  and 
he  will  ascend  upwards  upon  them,  as  upon  Jacob's 
ladder,  from  glory  to  glory,  to  eternal  heights  of 
purity  and  blessedness. 

III.  We  see  how  it  is  that  the  peace  of  the 
young  convert  is  very  commonly  destroyed,  and 
his  growth  in  grace  prevented,  by  the  instructions 
which  he  receives  from  older  Christians.  When 
the  convert,  alarmed  at  the  discovery  of  inward 
corruptions  and  of  the  numerous  occasions  of 
stumbling,  in  himself,  arising  from  his  temper,  his 
appetites,  his  habits  of  sin,  as  well  as  the  hardness 
of  his  heart,  comes  for  counsel  to  those  who  ought 
to  be  able  to  point  him  at  once  to  the  remedy,  and 
thus  lead  him  to  the  "  fountain  of  living  waters,5' 
there  is  commonly  a  direct  attempt  to  comfort  him 
in  his  present  state.  He  is  told  that  such  discov- 
eries of  the  inward  corruption  are  the  highest  evi- 
dence of  our  conversion,  that  he  must  not  be 


192  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

alarmed,  when  he  "  finds  the  Canaanite  in  the 
land,"  that  these  fears  will  never  be  dislodged 
from  his  bosom  till  his  dying  day,  and  that  Christ 
will  very  soon  teach  him  the  "  plague  of  his  own 
heart,"  by  letting  him  slide  down  from  the  warmth 
and  blessedness  of  his  first  love,  into  the  valley  of 
spiritual  death,  misnamed  the  valley  of  humiliation. 
Well  might  the  convert  reply  to  such  guides, 
"  Miserable  comforters  are  ye  all."  If,  now,  he 
will  turn  from  all  such  directions  to  the  "  exceeding 
great  and  precious  promises  "  of  Christ,  and  with 
humble  confidence  cast  himself  upon  his  faithful- 
ness, then  shall  his  "  righteousness  go  forth  as 
brightness,  and  his  salvation  as  a  lamp  that  burn- 
eth."  Then  shall  he  prove  by  blessed  experience 
the  truth  of  the  promise,  "  Even  the  youths  shall 
faint  and  be  weary,  and  the  young  men  shall 
utterly  fall,  But  they  that  wait  on  the  Lord  shall 
renew  their  strength  ;  they  shall  mount  up  on 
wings  as  eagles ;  they  shall  run  and  not  be  weary ; 
they  shall  walk  and  not  faint." 

IV.  We  may  understand  the  object  which  the 
Christian  should  have  in  view,  in  searching  his  own 
heart.  It  should  be  the  same  as  the  physician  has 
in  examining  the  symptoms  of  his  patient,  i.  e. 
to  determine  the  nature  of  the  disease,  for  the 
purpose  of  applying  the  appropriate  remedy.  So 


PROMISES.  193 

the  Christian  should  examine  himself  to  determine 
what  he  is,  and  what  he  needs,  for  the  purpose  of 
looking  away  to  some  definite  promise  as  the  re- 
medy to  that  necessity.  How  profitable  seasons  of 
fasting  and  prayer  would  be,  if  spent  in  this  man- 
ner with  the  Physician  of  souls.  The  want  of  this 
definite  object  is  the  great  reason,  I  suppose,  why 
such  seasons  are  so  generally  almost  profitless  to 
Christians. 

V.  We  see  why  it  is,  that  Christians  apply  to 
Christ  for  sanctification,  &c.,  almost  without  suc- 
cess. Their  object  is  commonly  general  and  un- 
defined, and  nothing  specific  is  presented.  Let  an 
individual,  on  the  other  hand,  who  finds  his  tem- 
per, his  appetites,  his  propensities,  or  worldly 
pursuits,  the  occasion  of  falling,  take  one  or 
more  of  these  definite  objects  to  Christ,  and  cast 
himself,  in  view  of  some  definite  promise,  upon 
his  faithfulness,  to  have  that  particular  cause  of  sin 
removed ;  let  him  thus  bring  all  his  powers  and 
propensities  to  Christ,  and  how  soon  would  all 
his  faculties  and  susceptibilities  be  so  sweetly  and 
perfectly  subjected  to  the  will  of  God,  that  all  oc- 
casion of  stumbling  will  be  taken  away.  In  all 
instances,  reader,  when  you  go  to  Christ  with 
some  definite  object,  resting  also  upon  some  defi- 
nite promise,  you  are  sure  to  be  heard. 


194  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

VI.  We  see  how  it  is  that  Satan  often  destroys 
the  confidence  of  Christians  in  the  promises,  in 
their  application  to  themselves.     It  is  by  directing 
their  attention  to  some  promise  that  is  not  applica- 
ble to  their  present  state,  and  pressing  them  to 
attempt   to  believe  in   that.     Said   one,  I   often 
thought  of  the  promise,  "Blessed  are  they  that 
mourn ;  for   they  shall  be  comforted ; "    and  be- 
cause I  was  not  in  the  state  upon  which  that  prom- 
ise was  conditioned,  I  thought  there  was  no  other 
promise  in  the  Bible  that  belonged  to  me,  or  upon 
which  I  could  lay  hold.     Before  that  individual 
could  mourn,  it  was  necessary  for  her  to  "  look  on 
him  whom  she  had  pierced."     Quite  another  prom- 
ise belonged  to  her  in  the  state  referred  to,  to  wit : 
"  Look  to  me  and  be  ye  saved."     By  casting  her- 
self upon  this,  she  would  soon  have  been  brought 
into  a  state  to  which  the  promise  first  referred  to 
was  addressed.     As  long  as  Satan  can  keep  the 
mind  from  the  promises  addressed  to  our  particular 
state,  and  fixed  upon  others  inapplicable,  he  will 
hold  us,  in  spite  of  ourselves,  in  unbelief. 

VII.  We  see  why  it  is  that  to  most  professors 
the  thought  of  being  entirely  sanctified  in  this  life, 
appears  so  chimerical.     Their  minds  have  ranged, 
in  the  darkness  of  unbelief,  amid  their  own  wrong 
doings  and  short  comings ;  and  not  upon  the  bound- 


PROMISES.  195 

less  provisions,  and  "  exceeding  great  and  precious 
promises  "  of  divine  grace,  till  they  have  appre- 
hended the  riches  of  the  glory  of  Christ's  inherit- 
ance in  the  saints.  If  Christ  has  made  provision 
for  our  entire  holiness,  and  has  promised,  on  the 
condition  of  simple  faith  in  his  word,  that  he  will 
himself  sanctify  us  wholly,  and  preserve  our  whole 
spirit,  and  soul,  and  body,  blameless  unto  his 
coming  and  kingdom,  how  reasonable  to  expect 
that  his  power  shall  effect  what  his  love  has  pro- 
vided and  his  truth  has  promised. 

VIII.  We  see  why  it  appears  to  most  persons 
so  impossible  to  exercise  that  faith  which  would 
result  in  a  state  of  entire  sanctification.     They  do 
not  believe  that  provision  is  made  in  the  gospel  for 
the  attainment  of  that  state,  or  that  Christ  has 
promised  it  to  us,  on  condition  of  our  faith  in  him 
for  that  blessing.     If  Christ  has  made  such  provi- 
sions, and  given  such  promises,  it  would  be  difficult, 
if  not  impossible,  to  account  for  the  existence  of 
that  faith  in  an  individual  which  induces  partial 
and  not  perfect  holiness,  when  he  has  those  pro- 
visions and  promises  distinctly  before  his  mind. 

IX.  In  what  sense  all  Christians  are  expected 
and  required  to  be  witnesses  for  Christ.     They 
are  expected  and  required  so  to  trust  Christ  in 


196  CHRISTIAN   PERFECTION. 

respect  to  the  fulfilment  of  all  bis  promises,  that 
they  can  say  from  blessed  experience,  that  in  all 
those  promises  Christ  is  a  faithful  and  true  witness. 
Take  the  following  promise  as  an  example: — 
"  Thou  wilt  keep  him  in  perfect  peace,  whose 
mind  is  stayed  on  thee,  because  he  trusteth  in 
thee."  Now  we  are  expected  and  required  to 
"  stay  ourselves  upon  God  "  in  such  a  manner,  that 
we  can  affirm  from  experience,  that  the  effect  of 
trusting  in  God  is  all  that  it  is  affirmed  to  be.  So 
of  every  other  promise  in  the  Bible.  If  we  can- 
not thus  testify  for  God,  we  are  found  to  be  false 
witnesses  for  him.  It  is  in  giving  such  testimony 
that  we  are  chiefly  to  glorify  Christ,  and  benefit 
our  fellow  men.  How  melancholy  is  the  fact,  that 
most  professors,  instead  of  being  able  to  speak  for 
Christ,  as  his  faithful  and  true  witnesses,  can  only 
give  an  opinion,  that  if  they  should  embrace  the 
promises,  they  would  find  them  true,  which  is  no 
more  than  the  impenitent  can  say,  and  of  course  is 
no  testimony  at  all. 

X.  We  see  that  if,  as  is  commonly  supposed, 
God  has  so  arranged  the  dispensations  of  his  provi- 
dence and  grace  that  no  one  will  attain  to  a  state 
of  entire  sanctification  in  this  life,  he  has  made 
such  arrangements  that  he  shall  never  have  a  wit- 
ness on  earth  that  can  bear  full  testimony  to  the 


PROMISES,  197 

truth  of  his  promises.  Many  of  these  promises 
are,  as  we  have  seen  in  a  former  discourse,  condi- 
tioned on  the  existence  of  this  state  in  the  subject. 
How  infinitely  absurd  is  the  supposition  that  God 
has  made  definite  arrangements,  by  which  he  is 
never  to  have  a  witness  on  earth,  who  can  bear 
full  testimony  for  him  !  "  Ye  are  my  witnesses, 
saith  the  Lord."  See  to  it,  Christian,  that  you, 
by  availing  yourself  of  proffered  grace,  become 
perfectly  qualified  to  bear  full  testimony  for  God. 
How  reasonable  is  the  supposition  that  God  should 
make  full  provision  for  the  perfect  qualification, 
i.  e.  sanctification  of  his  own  witnesses.  How 
perfectly  unreasonable  the  opposite  supposition  ! 

XI.  We  may  also  perceive  the  perfect  absurdity 
of  the  supposition,  that  if  a  Christian  were  entirely 
sanctified,  he  would  not  be  permitted  longer  to  live 
on  earth  ;  but  would  be  taken  directly  to  heaven. 
In  other  words,  if  an  individual  were  fully  qualified 
to  bear  testimony  for  Christ,  he  would  riot  allow 
him  to  testify  at  all ! 

XII.  We  perceive  the  infinite  obligation  resting 
upon  us,  to  be  entirely  free  from  care  and  perplex- 
ity, and  to  be  always,  and  under  all  circumstances, 
in  a  state  of  perfect  peace  and  blessedness.     We 
have  only   to   rest   down   upon  the   "exceeding 


198  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

great  and  precious  promises,"  and  every  care, 
every  perplexity,  and  every  burden,  is  necessarily 
rolled  from  our  minds.  We  are  led  into  the  "  ban- 
queting house "  of  the  Redeemer,  "  where  his 
banner  over  us  is  love."  We  are  conducted  forth 
"into  the  green  pastures,  and  beside  the  still 
waters."  We  range  along  the  banks  of  the  river 
of  life,  and  our  peace  and  blessedness  will  be  like 
the  broad,  and  deep,  and  crystal  flow  of  that  river. 
Reader,  what  is  the  character  of  your  religion  ? 
Is  it  a  life-giving  and  a  peace-giving  religion  ? 
Your  body,  you  say,  is  the  "  temple  of  the  Holy 
Spirit."  What  are  the  fruits  of  the  spirit  that 
actually  dwells  in  that  temple.  Are  they  "  love, 
joy,  peace,  long  suffering,  gentleness,  goodness, 
faith,  meekness,  temperance."  "  If  any  man 
have  not  the  spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none  of  his." 

XIII.  In  the  light  of  this  subject,  we  are  also  led 
to  contemplate  and  adore  the  infinite  love  of  God 
to  us.  This  love  is  manifested  in  the  bestowment 
upon  creatures,  infinite  in  guilt  and  vileness,  the 
highest  blessing  that  infinite  wisdom  could  con- 
ceive, that  infinite  love  could  desire,  and  infinite 
power  confer — the  eternal  possession  of  the  "  di- 
vine nature," — the  holiness  and  blessedness  of 
God.  Reader,  dwell  upon  this  thought.  In  it 


PROMISES.  199 

learn  to  comprehend  your  own  privileges,  and  the 
boundless  love  of  God.  For  the  bestowment  of 
this  blessing  full  provision  is  made  in  the  gospel. 
For  its  full  accomplishment  in  you,  the  Son  of 
God  is  "  standing  at  the  door,  and  the  spirit  of 
grace  is  now  in  your  heart.  If  you  will  open  the 
door,  the  Son  of  God  will  enter  in  and  confer  this 
blessed  inheritance  upon  you. 

XIV.  Finally,  we  perceive  the  infinite  obliga- 
tion that  rests  upon  us,  not  to  remain  under  the 
power  of  any  sin ;  but  to  have  our  temper,  our 
appetites,  our  propensities,  habits,  and  all  the 
powers  and  susceptibilities  of  our  being,  subdued 
and  brought  into  sweet  and  perfect  subjection  to 
the  will  of  Christ,  so  that  there  shall  be  "  none 
occasion  of  stumbling  in  us."  For  the  accom- 
plishment of  this,  full  provision  is  made  in  the 
gospel  of  the  grace  of  God,  and  we  have  only  to 
cast  ourselves  upon  Christ  for  the  fulfilment  of 
the  "  exceeding  great  and  precious  promises " 
which  he  has  given  us,  and  all  this  blessedness  is 
ours.  It  is  your  blissful  privilege,  reader,  in  the 
use  of  these  promises,  to  be  made  a  "  partaker  of 
the  divine  nature,  having  escaped  the  corruption 
that  is  in  the  world  through  lust."  Remember 
what  God  has  said ;  "  Now  the  just  shall  live  by 


tfliyiRSXTY 


• 


200  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

faith :  but  if  any  man  draw  back,  my  soul  shall 
have  no  pleasure  in  him."  "  See  that  ye  refuse 
not  him  that  speaketh.  For  if  they  escaped  not 
who  refused  him  that  spake  on  earth,  much  more 
shall  not  we  escape,  if  we  turn  away  from  him  that 
speaketh  from  heaven." 


DISCOURSE    VII  I. 


THE  DIVINE  TEACHER. 

"  Now  the  Lord  is  that  Spirit;  and  where  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  is,  there  is  liberty.  JBut  we  all,  with  open  face  be- 
holding as  in  a  glass  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  are  changed 
into  the  same  image,  from  glory  to  glory,  even  as  by  the 
Spiritof  the  Lord."— 2  Cor.  iii.  17,  18. 

In  the  verses  preceding,  the  apostle  speaks  of 
the  veil  that  was  over  the  mind  of  the  Jew,  in  the 
reading  of  the  Scriptures,  and  which  prevented  his 
understanding  their  true  import.  In  the  text  he 
speaks  of  the  privileges  which  Christians  enjoy 
through  the  illumination  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
"  Where  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is,  there  is  liberty," 
i.  e.  there  is  a  full  and  direct  aspect  of  truth,  and  a 
full  experience  of  its  renovating  power.  "  But  we 
•all,  with  open  face  beholding  as  in  a  glass  the 
glory  of  the  Lord,  are  changed  into  the  same 
image,  from  glory  to  glory,  even  as  by  the  Spirit 
of  the  Lord."  Every  real  Christian  can  call  to 
mind  seasons  when  he  had  such  views  of  truth  as 
are  here  referred  to, — views  which  melted  his 
whole  soul  into  love  and  tenderness,  and  brought 
13 


202  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

all  the  powers  of  his  being  into  sweet  subjection  to 
the  will  of  God.  Could  these  visions  be  rendered 
perpetual  in  the  mind  of  the  Christian,  his  heart 
would  never  wax  cold  or  unfeeling;  nor  would 
there  ever  be  any  rival  to  Christ  in  his  heart,  to 
dispute  with  him  the  empire  of  the  soul.  In  the 
absence  of  such  views,  darkness  enters  and  spreads 
itself  over  the  mind,  arid  temptations  to  sin  have  a 
sovereign  power.  Now  to  impart  these  visions  of 
truth,  to  render  them  perpetual,  and  thus  preserve 
the  mind  under  the  uninterrupted  influence  of  the 
love  of  Christ,  and  give  to  that  love  the  highest 
possible  efficacy  over  the  heart,  is  the  appropriate 
office  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  is  the  part  which 
he  now  acts  in  the  plan  of  redemption.  Christ  is 
of  God  made  unto  us  "  wisdom,  and  righteousness, 
and  sanctification,  and  redemption."  The  office 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  to  present  Christ  to  our 
minds  in  such  a  manner  that  all  these  objects  shall 
be  fully  accomplished  in  us. 

The  attention  of  the  reader  is  now  invited  to  a 
few  general  observations  designed  to  illustrate  the 
office  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  the  work  of  redemp- 
tion, as  above  presented.  To  accomplish  this 
object,  I  remark — 

I.  That  whatever  the  Holy  Spirit  accomplishes 
In  the  work  under  consideration,  he  accomplishes 


THE    DIVINE    TEACHER,  203 

by  the  presentation  of  truth  to  the  rnind,  and  the 
truth  presented  does  not  respect  himself,  but  Jesus 
Christ.  "  The  sword  of  the  Spirit  is  the  word  of 
God."  "  Howbeit,  when  He,  the  Spirit  of  truth 
is  come,  he  will  guide  you  into  all  truth :  for  he 
shall  not  speak  of  himself;  but  whatsoever  he 
shall  hear,  that  shall  he  speak  ;  and  he  will  shew 
you  things  to  come.  He  shall  glorify  me  :  for  he 
shall  receive  of  mine,  and  shall  show  it  unto  you." 
The  Holy  Spirit  sustains  to  Christ  the  same  rela- 
tion that  a  teacher  does  to  the  particular  science 
which  he  teaches.  His  object  is,  not  to  present 
himself  to  the  pupil,  but  the  science.  So  the 
Spirit  shows  not  himself,  but  Christ,  to  our  minds. . 
We  feel  and  recognize  the  presence  of  the  Spirit, 
only  as  Christ  is  presented  to  our  minds,  and  thus 
the  "  love  of  God  is  shed  abroad  in  our  hearts  by 
the  Holy  Ghost,  which  is  given  unto  us." 

II.  In  thus  accomplishing  the  work  of  redemp- 
tion, the  Holy  Spirit  sustains  to  Christians  and 
sinners,  entirely  different  relations.  To  the  latter 
he  sustains  the  exclusive  relation  of  a  reprover  of 
sin,  his  object  being  conviction,  for  the  purpose  of 
leading  the  sinner,  humbled  and  penitent,  to  Christ. 
"And  when  he  is  come,  he  will  reprove  the  world 
of  sin,  and  of  righteousness,  and  of  judgment." 

To  the  Christian,  on  the  other  hand, — the  Chris- 


204  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

tian,  I  mean,  in  a  state  of  love  and  obedience  to 
God, — he  sustains  the  relation  of  a  teacher,  a  com- 
forter, an  indwelling  light,  in  which  the  glory  and 
love  of  Christ  are  continually  reflected  upon  the 
eye  of  the  mind.  "  He  shall  take  of  mine,  and 
shall  show  it  unto  you."  "  He  shall  testify  of  me." 
"But  the  comforter,  which  is  the  Holy  Ghost, 
whom  the  Father  will  send  in  my  name,  he  shall 
teach  you  all  things,  and  bring  all  things  to  your 
remembrance,  whatsoever  I  have  said  unto  you." 
"  He  dvvelleth  in  you,  and  shall  be  in  you." 

III.  The  Holy  Spirit,  in  the  relation  last  des- 
cribed, is  given  to  Christians  after  they  believe  in 
Christ,  and  in  consequence  of  their  faith  in  him. 
Acts  ii.  38 :  "  Then  Peter  said  unto  them,  Re- 
pent and  be  baptized,  every  one  of  you,  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  remission  of  sins, 
and  ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost." 
Eph.  i.  13 :  "  In  whom  also,  after  that  ye  believed, 
ye  were  sealed  with  the  Holy  Spirit  of  promise." 
Prov.  i.  23 :  "  Turn  you  at  my  reproof;  behold, 
I  will  pour  out  my  spirit  upon  you,  I  will  make 
known  my  words  unto  you."  As  these  passages 
respect  all  Christians  alike,  they  refer,  not  to  his 
miraculous  gifts,  but  to  common  influences,  as  an 
indwelling  light  in  the  hearts  of  God's  people. 


THE    DIVINE    TEACHER.  205 

IV.  The  design  of  God  in  the  gift  of  his  Spirit, 
is,  that  he  be  to  Christians,  not  as  a  "  stranger 
or  a  sojourner,  that  turneth  aside  to  tarry  but  for  a 
night,"  but  as  the  perpetual  light  of  their  souls, 
of  whose  illumination  they  are  never  to  be  desti- 
tute. „  Johnxiv.  15 — 17:  "  If  ye  love  me,  keep  my 
commandments ;  and  I  will  pray  the  Father,  and 
he  shall  give  you  another  comforter,  that  he  may 
abide  with  you  for  ever ;  even  the  Spirit  of  truth; 
whom  the  world  cannot  receive,  because  it  seeth 
him  not,  neither  knoweth  him ;  but  ye  know  him ; 
for  he  dwelleth  with  you,  and  shall  be  in  you." 
Hence,  it  is  said  of  Christians,  that  their  "bodies 
are  the  temples  of  the  Holy  Ghost,"  and  that 
they  themselves  are  "  the  temples  of  the  living 
God."  As  the  visible  manifestation  of  the  divine 
glory  never  departed  from  the  Holy  of  Holies  in 
the  ancient  temple,  so  God  designs  that  the  light 
of  his  Spirit  shall  never  depart  from  the  more 
sacred  temple  of  the  heart,  and  nothing  but  sin 
can  quench  his  divine  illuminations  there.  To 
enjoy  these  perpetual  divine  illuminations,  Christian, 
to  have  those  full  and  unceasing  visions  of  the  glory 
of  Christ,  by  which  you  may  be  able  to  "  compre- 
hend the  breadth,  and  depth,  and  length,  and 
height,  and  to  know  the  love  of  Christ,  which 
passeth  knowledge,"  is  your  high  privilege  and 
most  sacred  duty. 


206  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

V.  We  will  now  consider  the  state  of  those 
who  thus  enjoy  the  perpetual  illumination  of  the 
Holy  Spirit. 

I.  They  have  all  those  full,  and  direct,  and 
perpetual  visions  of  the  love  of  Christ,  which  are 
necessary  to  their  highest  purity  and  blessedness. 
"  Where  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is,  there  is  liberty. 
But  we  all,  with  open  face  beholding  as  in  a  glass 
the  glory  of  the  Lord,  are  changed  into  the  same 
image,  from  glory  to  glory,  even  as  by  the  Spirit 
of  the  Lord."  "  He  that  is  spiritual,"  i.  e.  taught 
of  the  Spirit,  "judgeth  all  things,"  has  a  distinct 
perception  of  all  truth,  which  it  concerns  him  to 
understand.  "  He  shall  guide  you  into  all  truth." 

2.  All  the  wisdom  that  is  necessary,  that  they, 
as  the  servants  of  Christ,  may  in  eveiy  sphere  and 
condition  in  life,  glorify  him  in  the.  most  effect- 
ual manner.     This  is  implied  in  the  promise,  "He 
shall  lead  you  into  all  truth."     It  is  also  included 
in  the  promise,  "  If  any  man  lack  wisdom,  let  him 
ask  of  God,  who  giveth  unto  all  men  liberally  and 
upbraideth  not,  and  it  shall  be  given  him." 

3.  They  have  such  views  of  Christ  as  impart 
to  them  full  and  unfailing  consolation    in    every 
affliction.     In  special  reference  to  this  part  of  his 
office,  he  is  called  the  "  Comforter." 

4.  Such   a  full  and   perpetual  fruition   of  the 
presence  and   love  of  Christ  as   constitutes   the 


THE    DIVINE    TEACHER.  207 

richest  foretaste  of  future  blessedness.  The  gift 
of  the  Spirit,  for  this  reason,  is  called  the  "  ear- 
nest of  our  inheritance,  until  the  redemption  of  the 
purchased  possession." 

5.  The  Spirit  is  given  to  such,  as  heaven's  sig- 
net, as  God's  seal  to  their  title  to  the  eternal  in- 
heritance which  Christ  has  purchased  for  them. 
"  Grieve  not  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God,  whereby  ye 
are  sealed  unto  the  day  of  redemption."  "  Ye 
are  sealed  with  the  Holy  Spirit  of  promise." 

Such  are  your  privileges,  Christian,  in  the  gift 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  All  truth  is  perfectly  known 
to  him.  "  The  Spirit  searcheth  all  things,  yea, 
the  deep  things  of  God."  Every  truth  that  you 
need  to  understand,  he  is  able  to  present  to  your 
mind,  in  such  a  manner,  that  from  it  you  shall  re- 
ceive the  highest  possible  influence.  He  is  equally 
able  to  present  those  truths  and  those  aspects  of 
truth  which  are  perfectly  adapted  to  your  necessi- 
ties in  every  condition  in  life.  To  you  he  is  given 
as  the  last  and  richest  gift  of  your  God  and  Saviour, 
to  be  in  you  as  a  perpetually  indwelling  light, 
through  which  you  are  to  be  "  filled  with  all  the  ful- 
ness of  God."  Christ  has  promised  that "  whosoever 
belie  veth  in  him  shall  not  walk  in  darkness ;  but  shall 
have  the  light  of  life."  By  availing  yourself  of  the 
illumination  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  this  promise  may  be 
fully  accomplished  in  your  own  blessed  expe- 


208  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

rience.  Remember  this,  also,  that  without  this 
divine  illumination,  you  will  and  you  must  walk  in 
darkness.  Those  life-giving  aspects  of  truth  pre- 
sented to  mind  by  the  Spirit,  you  can  obtain  from 
no  other  source  whatever.  "  Even  so,  the  things 
of  God,  knoweth  no  man,  but  the  Spirit  of  God." 
"The  natural  man,"  the  man  that  trusts  to  his  own 
wisdom,  without  the  aid  of  divine  illumination, 
"  receive th  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God : 
for  they  are  foolishness  unto  him  ;  neither  CAN  HE 
KNOW  THEM,  because  they  are  spiritually  dis- 
cerned." 

VI.  We  will  now  consider  the  conditions  on 
which  we  can  enjoy  the  perpetual  illumination  of 
the  Holy  Spirit. 

1.  His  perpetual  presence  and  illumination  must 
be  sought  by  prayer  and    "  faith  on  the  Son  of 
God."      "  How   much   more   shall   your   Father 
which  is  in  heaven,  give  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them 
that  ask  him  ?  " 

2.  Your   motives   in  seeking   his  'illumination 
must  be  identical  with  those  of  the  Spirit  as  your 
teacher.     His  exclusive  office  is,  to  "  take  of  the 
things  of  Christ  and  show  them  unto  you,"  to  im- 
part to  you  that  knowledge  which  is  necessary  to 
your  highest  holiness,  blessedness,  and  usefulness, 
as  a  Christian.     When  you   ask  of  God  for  the 


THE    DIVINE    TEACHER.  209 

indwelling  light  of  his  Holy  Spirit,  ask  it  for  this 
exclusive  purpose,  that  you  may  know  Christ,  and 
fully  experience  the  renovating  power  of  his  love 
upon  your  heart,  that  you  may  "  know  the  things 
which  are  freely  given  you  of  God,  and  understand, 
as  the  servants  of  Christ,  all  the  responsibilities 
devolved  upon  you,  in  every  relation  and  condition 
in  life. 

3.  Seek   the   illumination  of  the    Holy  Spirit, 
with  a  full  consciousness  and  acknowledgment  of 
your  own  blindness  and  ignorance,  and  entire  de- 
pendence  upon   his   teaching.     "  Except   ye   be 
converted  and  become  as  little  children,  ye  shall  in 
no  case  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven."     "  If 
any  man  would  be  wise  among  you,  let  him  be- 
come a   fool,  that  he  may  be  wise ; "  that  is,  let 
him  acknowledge  his  total  darkness  and  ignorance 
in  himself,  and  seek  for  divine  illumination  as  the 
only  source  of  true  wisdom. 

4.  Seek  the  illumination  of  the  Spirit  in   the 
diligent  use  of  all  appropriate  means, — the  study 
of  the  Scriptures, — attendance  upon  the  instruc- 
tions and  ordinances  of  God's  house,  and  in  social 
converse  and  prayer  with  such  as  are  themselves 
spiritually  taught.     In  the  use  of  such  means,  with 
such  a  Spirit  and  object,  your  cup  will  be  always 
full.     It  will  overflow  for  ever. 


210  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

REMARKS. 

I.  In  the  light  of  this  discourse,  a  few  important 
passages  of  Scripture  admit  of  a  ready  explanation. 
For  example,  Luke  x.  21,  "  In  that  hour  Jesus 
rejoiced  in  spirit,  and  said,  I  thank  thee,  O  Father, 
Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  that  thou  hast  hid  these 
things  from  the  wise  and  prudent,  and  hast  revealed 
them  unto  babes  ;  even  so,  Father,  for  so  it  seemed 
good  in  thy  sight."  "The  wise  and  prudent " 
are  those  who  proudly  depend  upon  their  own 
wisdom,  and  are  regarded  as  wise  by  the  world 
around  them.  "  Babes"  are  such  as  acknowledge 
their  blindness  and  ignorance,  and  look  to  Christ 
for  divine  illumination.  How  appropriate  the  joy 
and  gratitude  of  Christ,  that  the  former  were 
left  in  darkness,  and  the  latter  divinely  illu- 
mined. John  ix.  41,  "Jesus  said  unto  them,  If 
ye  were  blind,  ye  should  have  no  sin  :  "  that  is,  if 
you  would  acknowledge  your  blindness,  and  come 
to  me  for  divine  illumination,  your  sins  would  be 
wholly  removed  from  you  ;  but  now  ye  say,  "  We 
see ;  therefore  your  sin  remaineth,"  that  is,  you 
deny  your  ignorance  and  dependence  upon  me  ; 
therefore,  your  character  remains  unchanged,  and 
your  sins  rest  upon  you.  1  Cor.  ii.  9,  "But,  as  it 
is  written,  Eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  neither 
have  entered  into  the  heart  of  man,  the  things 


THE    DIVINE    TEACHER.  211 

which  God  hath  prepared  for  them  that  love  him." 
This  passage  is  very  commonly  considered  as  appli- 
cable only  to  the  condition  of  saints  in  heaven. 
The  context  shows,  however,  that  it  is  applied 
exclusively  to  the  condition  of  Christians  on  earth. 
"But  God  hath  revealed  them  unto  us  by  his 
Spirit."  Such  are  your  privileges  now,  Christian, 
through  the  love  of  Christ  reflected  upon  your 
heart  by  the  Holy  Spirit  which  is  given  unto  you. 

II.  We  see  how  it  is,  that  the  "  Spirit  beareth 
witness  with  our  Spirit,  that  W7e  are  the  children  of 
God."     When,  for  example,  the  Christian  asks  for 
wisdom   from  above,  or  for  divine  illumination  in 
respect  to  any  question  of  truth  or  duty,  and  re- 
ceives from  the  Spirit  an  answer  to  his  request.     In 
that  answer,  the  Spirit  of  God  bears  witness  with 
his  spirit  that  he  is  a  child  of  God.     Such  is  the  tes- 
timony that  he  is  perpetually  bearing  in  the  heart  of 
all  who  are  humble  and  contrite  in  spirit  and  tremble 
at  God's  word.     Reader,  do  you  know  what  it  is 
to  have  the  witness  of  the  Spirit  in  your  own 
heart  ? 

III.  We  are  also  fully  prepared  to  answer  the 
question,  In  what  consists  the  grand  secret  of  holy 
living  ?     It  is  an  indwelling  Christ,  whose  image 
is  perpetually  reflected  upon  the  eye  of  the  mind, 


212  CHRISTIAN   PERFECTION. 

by  the  illumination  of  the  Holy  Spirit.     Reader, 
is  your  piety  of  such  a  character  as  this  ? 

IV.  In  what  sense  only  is  the  Holy  Spirit  a 
sanctifier.     "  Christ   is  of   God   made    unto  us" 
wisdom  and  righteousness,  and   sanctifijation,  and 
redemption."     The  Spirit  sanctifies  by  presenting 
Christ  to  the  mind  in  such  a  manner  that  we  are 
transformed  into  his  image.     The  common  error 
of  Christians  in  respect  to  this  subject,  seems  to  be 
this,  looking  away  from  Christ  to  the  Holy  Spirit 
for  sanctification,  instead  of  looking  for  the  Spirit 
to  render  Christ  their  sanctification. 

V.  For  not  having  Christ  perpetually  dwelling 
in  your  heart,  reader,  as  your  wisdom,  righteous- 
ness, sanctification  and  redemption,  you  are  without 
excuse.     For  this  special  purpose  the  Holy  Spirit 
is  given  to  you.     In  his  light  it  is  your  blessed 
privilege  perpetually  to  walk.     u  How  much  more 
shall  your  Father  which  is  in    heaven   give  the 
Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  him  ?  "     "Ask  and  it 
shall  be  given  you."     "  For  every  one  that  asketh 
receiveth." 

VI.  We  see,   in  the  light  of  this  subject,  the 
true  ground  of  the  expectation,  that  in  our  efforts 
after  holiness,  we  may  attain  to  a  state  of  entire 


THE    DIVINE    TEACHER.  213 

consecration  to  Christ.  "  Work  out  your  own  sal- 
vation with  fear  and  trembling:  For  it  is  God 
which  wrorketh  in  you  both  to  will  and  to  do  of 
his  own  good  pleasure."  Our  hope  of  attaining 
to  this  state,  rests  not  at  all  upon  a  view  of  our  own 
natural  powers  as  moral  agents,  but  upon  the  pro- 
visions of  divine  grace  for  our  "  redemption  from 
all  iniquity,"  and  our  "  perfect  completeness  in  all 
the  \vill  of  God,"  together  with  the  divine  aid  that 
is  promised  to  succeed  all  sincere  efforts  made  in 
simple  faith  in  Christ,  for  the  attainment  of  that 
state.  In  the  redemption  of  Christ,  as  we  have 
seen  in  former  discourses,  full  provision  is  made 
for  the  entire  sanctification  of  every  believer.  The 
Holy  Spirit  is  given  for  the  express  purpose  of  so 
presenting  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  our  minds,  that 
we  may  experience  in  our  hearts  the  full  power  of 
his  redemption.  The  Spirit,  it  should  be  remem- 
bered, has  a  perfect  understanding  of  all  truth  per- 
taining to  our  salvation.  He  has  at  all  times, 
direct  access  to  our  hearts,  and  is  perfectly  able 
to  present  the  image  of  Christ  to  our  minds  in  such 
a  manner,  that  it  shall  exert  upon  us  the  highest 
possible  transforming  power.  He  is  always  in  us, 
a  perpetually  indwelling  light,  whose  highest  il- 
luminations we  can  always  enjoy,  by  opening  our 
hearts  with  simple  faith  and  prayer  to  receive  it. 
With  such  provisions  and  such  a  helper,  to  what 


214  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

state  ought  we  to  expect  to  attain?  Who  is 
strongest,  Christian,  let  me  put  the  question  again, 
"  he  that  is  in  you,  or  he  that  is  in  the  world  ?" 
Which  has  the  greatest  power,  the  Spirit  of  the 
living  God,  together  with  an  indwelling  Christ,  or 
your  fleshly  lusts  and  propensities  ?  Shall  the  fol- 
lowers of  Christ  proclaim  the  fact,  that  the  Spirit 
and  grace  of  Christ  are  less  strong  in  their  hearts, 
than  the  "world,  the  flesh,  and  the  devil?"  that 
that  grace  which  changed  an  enemy  into  a  friend, 
is  not  adequate  to  render  that  friend  "  perfect  and 
complete  in  all  the  will  of  God  ?"  "  Tell  it  not 
in  Gath  !  Publish  it  not  in  the  streets  of  Askelon ! 
lest  the  daughters  of  the  uncircumcised  triumph  !" 

VII.  We  are  now  prepared,  in  the  light  of  this, 
and  of  the  preceding  discourses,  to  understand  the 
great  and  fundamental  errors  of  the  Perfectionists, 
a  sect  which  rose  some  years  ago  in  the  State  of 
New  York,  and  subsequently  spread  to  a  small  ex- 
tent over  various  parts  of  the  country.  The  fol- 
lowing are  some  of  the  tenets  of  this  sect.  They 
maintained,  I.  That  in  the  gospel  there  is  a  total 
abrogation  of  the  moral  law  as  a  rule  of  action, 
and  that  Christians  are  for  ever  freed  from  all  obli- 
gation to  God  or  any  other  being.  2.  That  by 
one  act  of  faith,  the  Christian  is  brought  into  such 
a  state,  that  it  is  absolutely  impossible  that  he 


THE    DIVINE    TEACHER.  215 

should  ever  afterwards  commit  sin.  3.  That  the 
Spirit  now  communicates  truth  to  Christians  by  di- 
rect revelation,  and  hence  the  study  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, the  ministry  of  reconciliation,  prayer,  the 
Sabbath,  and  all  the  ordinances,  and  the  church 
itself,  they  wholly  dispensed  with,  4.  For  the 
teachings  of  the  Spirit,  they  substituted  impress- 
ions and  impulses,  maintaining  that  every  existing 
desire  or  impulse  is  produced  by  the  direct  agency 
of  the  Spirit,  and  therefore  to  be  gratified.  Hence, 
5.  Many  of  them  maintained  the  abrogation  of 
marriage,  even,  and  became  die  advocates  of  gross 
licentiousness  from  principle,  and  all  this  under  the 
profession  of  absolute  perfection  in  holiness.  The 
reader  will  at  once  perceive,  that  no  system  could 
possibly  be  devised,  which  placed  the  subject  more 
perfectly  under  the  power  of  the  great  enemy,  than 
this.  The  sect,  containing  in  itself  the  principle 
of  disunion  and  disorganization,  very  soon  burst 
asunder,  and  now  lies  in  scattered  fragments  in 
various  parts  of  the  country.  Its  entire  history 
has  been  the  perfect  opposite  of  that  union  which 
Christ  prayed  might  exist  among  believers,  and 
which  perfect  love  must  and  will  produce.  In  the 
rise  and  subsequent  disorganization  of  the  sect, 
however,  the  great  enemy  has  gained  one  impor- 
tant object.  Whenever  the  true  doctrine  of  holi- 
ness is  urged  upon  Christians,  and  Christ  held  up 


216  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

as  a  sanctifying  Saviour,  he  can  raise  the  cry  of 
Perfectionism,  and  thus  prevent  many  from  receiv- 
ing the  substance,  because  a  few  have  grasped  a 
shadow.  If  in  this  attempt,  reader,  you  permit 
him  to  gain  an  advantage  over  you,  if  because 
others  have  turned  the  grace  of  God  into  lascivi- 
ousness,  you  will  reject  that  grace  itself,  you  fool- 
ishly jeopardize  your  immortal  interests. 

VIII.  The   reader   will  now  clearly  perceive, 
that  the  sentiments  maintained  in  these  discourses, 
have  no  alliance    whatever   with    Perfectionism. 
The  two   systems,  in  their  essential  features  and 
elements,    are  the  direct  opposites   of  each  other. 
An  individual   holding  the  sentiments  here  main- 
tained, cannot  become  a  Perfectionist,  without  a 
full    and  total   renunciation  of  all    the   principles 
which  he   previously  held.     This  every  one  will 
perceive  who  candidly  examines  the  two  systems. 

IX.  There  is  one  error  of  the  Perfectionists, 
into  which  Christians  not  unfrequently  fall,  against 
which,  I  wish,  in  a  special  manner,  to  guard   the 
reader.       It    is   this  :    considering    impulses    and 
impressions',  as  the  teachings  of  the  Spirit.     An 
individual  has  upon  his  mind  an  undefined   im- 
pression, that  he  ought,  for   example,  to  speak  in 


THE    DIVINE    TEACHER.  217 

meeting,  or  to  pursue  some  particular  course  of  con- 
duct. In  following  that  impression,  he  conceives 
himself  to  be  following  the  leadings  of  the  Spirit. 
In  refusing  to  follow  it,  he  supposes  himself  to 
grieve  or  quench  the  Spirit.  Now  the  principle 
that  I  maintain  is  this,  that  such  impressions 
are  of  no  authority  whatever.  The  man  who  is 
led  by  the  Spirit,  is  filled,  not  with  impressions  and 
impulses,  but  with  light.  He  will  always  be  able 
to  give  such  reasons  for  his  conduct  as  will  com- 
mend themselves  to  his  own,  and  the  conscience  of 
every  other  man.  Suppose,  reader,  that  you 
should  come  to  me,  for  instruction  or  advice  in 
respect  to  any  question  of  truth  or  duty,  what  you 
would  expect  of  me,  would  be,  that  I  should  present 
such  considerations  to  your  mind,  as  would  enable 
you  to  from  an  intelligent  judgment  in  respect  to 
the  question  before  you.  Much  more  should  you 
expect  the  same  thing,  when  you  pray  for  divine 
teaching.  Remember  that  it  is  when  and  only 
when  you  are  led  by  such  considerations,  that  you 
are  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  The  individual  who 
turns  away  from  the  Spirit,  as  a  teacher  and  guide, 
and  gives  himself  up  to  the  control  of  impulses  and 
impressions,  regarding  these  as  the  teachings  of  the 
Spirit,  will  very  soon  find  himself  in  the  "snare  of 
the  devil." 

14 


218  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

X.  We  may  also  understand,  in  the  light  of  this 
discourse,  the  nature  of  spiritual  mindedness.  It 
is  a  mind,  all  of  whose  powers  and  susceptibilities 
are  under  the  sweet,  and  perpetual,  and  all-per- 
vading influence  of  the  "  things  of  the  Spirit," 
the  truths  revealed  and  presented  by  the  Spirit* 
All  such  persons  are  "  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God/' 
and  "they  are  the  sons  of  God." 

XL  You  may  now,  reader,  answer  the  question, 
whether  you  are  really  spiritually  minded  or  not. 
Do  you,  in  your  own  experience,  reap  the  blissful 
fruits  of  the  Spirit?  "The  fruit  of  the  Spirit," 
remember,  "  is  in  all  goodness,  and  righteousness, 
and  truth."  Again,  "  The  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is 
love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffering,  gentleness,  good- 
ness, faith,  meekness,  temperance;  against  such 
there  is  no  law."  Is  this  the  character  of  your  reli- 
gion?  Is  this  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit  ihat  dwells 
in  you  ?  "  If  any  man  have  not  the  Spirit  of 
Christ,  he  is  none  of  his,"  and  of  the  Spirit  of 
Christ,  these  are  the  appropriate  and  invariable 
fruits. 

XII.  We  see  when  and  how  it  is  that  Chris- 
tians "quench"  and  "grieve  the  Holy  Spirit  of 
God,  whereby  they  are  sealed  unto  the  day  of 
redemption."  It  is  when  they  turn  away  from  the 


THE    DIVINE    TEACHER.  219 

glory  and  love  of  Christ,  upon  which  the  Spirit  is 
endeavoring  to  fix  their  supreme  affection  and  re- 
gard, and  give  their  hearts  to  other  and  inferior 
objects.  When  you  do  this,  reader,  you  not  only 
grieve  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God ;  but  you  put  out 
the  light  of  your  own  soul. 

XIII.  Finally.  We  are  now  prepared  to  look 
once  more  at  the  question,  whether  the  great  doc- 
trine maintained  in  thes.e  discourses,  accords  with 
the  mind  of  the  Spirit  by  whose  inspiration  the 
Scriptures  were  written.  Here  permit  me  to  pre- 
sent a  few  considerations  bearing  upon  this  ques- 
tion, in  addition  to  those  already  presented,  and 
which  naturally  suggest  themselves  from  the  train 
of  thought  which  we  have  pursued. 

1.  The  first  that  I  notice  is  a  fact  which  can 
hardly  have  failed  to  have  impressed  the  mind  of 
the  attentive  reader  of  these  discourses.  It  is  r 
this.  Whenever  I  have  had  occasion  to  give  a 
full  and  definite  expression  of  my  sentiments  upon 
this  subject,  no  phraseology  conceivable,  has  been 
found  to  be  so  perfectly  adapted  to  that  object,  as 
the  simple,  unadorned,  and  most  frequent  phraseol- 
ogy of  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  found  in  the  sacred 
Scriptures.  Can  it  be,  reader,  as  asked  in  a  for- 
mer discourse,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  has  dictated  a 
phraseology  so  perfectly  adapted  to  convey  one 


220  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

sentiment,  and  only  one,  when  His  design  was  to 
convey  precisely  the  opposite  sentiment  ? 

2.  It  was  just  as  easy  for  Christ  to  have  made 
such  provisions,  and  to  have  given  the  Holy  Spirit 
to  Christians  in  such  measures,  as  to  render  their 
perfect  as  partial  holiness  practicable.     Of  what 
conceivable  use  can  sin  be  as  an  element  of  Chris- 
tian character,  that  Christ  should  have  left  it,  as  an 
inseparable  element  of  that  character  ? 

3.  That  Christ  should  have  made  provision  for 
the  entire  sanctification  of  believers,  and  given  his 
Spirit  in  such  measure  to  them  as  to  render  that 
state  attainable,  best  accords  with  his  infinite  love, 
and  the  absolute  perfection  of  all  his  other  attri- 
butes and  works.     Why  should  he  leave  this,  the 
last  and  greatest  of  all  his  works,  thus  imperfect? 

4.  This  view  of  the  subject  best  accords  with  the 
relation  wrhich  Christians  sustain  to   Christ,  and 
the  world   around  them.     They  are  Christ's  wit- 
nesses, to  testify  to   the  world   from   their   own 
experience,  to  the  truth  of  the  "  exceeding  great 
and  precious  promises  "  of  divine  grace ;  promises, 
many  of  which  are,  as  we  have  seen,  conditioned 
upon    a   state   of   entire   consecration  to  Christ. 
How  infinitely  absurd,  as  shown  in  a  former  dis- 
course, is    the   supposition    that   Christ    has   so 
arranged  the  dispensations  of  his  grace  and  Spirit, 
that  he  should  never  have  a  witness  upon  earth, 


THE    DIVINE    TEACHER.  221 

who  could  bear  full  testimony  to  the  truth  of  his 
promises.  Christians  are  also  constituted  of  Christ, 
"  the  light  of  the  world,"  by  reflecting  upon  it  his 
image.  "  God,  who  commanded  the  light  to  shine 
out  of  darkness,  hath  shined  in  our  hearts,  to 
give  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of 
God  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ."  Who  can 
believe  that  Christ  has  definitely  arranged  the 
dispensations  of  his  grace  and  Spirit,  so  that  his 
own  image,  as  reflected  through  the  character  of 
his  own  people,  shall  always  be  presented  to  the 
world  in  a  deep  and  dark  eclipse?  Again,  Chris- 
tians are  Christ's  representatives,  his  ambassadors, 
laborers  together  with  God,  in  the  great  work  of 
saving  lost  men.  Who  can  conceive  a  greater 
absurdity  than  this,  that  God  has  so  arranged  his 
dispensations  toward  his  people,  that  all  who  are 
co-operating  with  him  in  this  work,  shall  be  but 
partially  devoted  to  the  duties  of  their  sacred  call- 
ing. Once  more,  Christians  are  the  "  members  of 
Christ's  body,  of  his  flesh,  and  of  his  bones." 
Reader,  can  you  believe  that  Christ  has  made  no 
provision,  but  that  the  members  of  his  own  body 
shall  be  in  a  state  of  disease  and  moral  death? 
Dare  you  cast  such  an  imputation  upon  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  ? 

5.  This  doctrine  leads  the  soul  directly  to  Christ 
as  a  certain  remedy  for  sin,  and  for  all  temptations 


222  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

to  sin,  and  tends  to  induce  the  most  vigorous 
efforts  after  pure  and  perfect  holiness.  The  oppo- 
site doctrine  tends  directly  to  weaken  confidence 
in  Christ  as  a  Saviour  from  sin,  and  to  paralyze 
efforts  after  holiness. 

6.  This  doctrine  meets  perfectly  a  changeless 
demand  of  our   being,  a   state  of  perfect   moral 
rectitude,  and  tends  to  inspire  the  mind  with  life 
and  peace.     The  opposite  doctrine  fails  to  meet 
that  demand,  and  thereby  covers  the  mind,  that  is 
hungering  and  thirsting  after  righteousness,  with 
thick  gloorn.     What  can  be  more  gloomy  to  such 
a  mind  than  the  thought  that  he  is  to  be  perpetually 
wounding  his  Saviour  in  the  house  of  his  friends  ? 

7.  Finally,   this  doctrine  has   all   the  internal 
evidence  in  its  favor,  that  the  Bible  itself,  or  any 
doctrine  of  the  Bible,  that  can  be  named,  has. 
What  higher  internal  evidence  can   be  adduced,  in 
favor   of  any  doctrine,    than   this,  that   it   tends 
directly    to   moral   virtue,   and    meets   fully   the 
changeless  laws  of  our  being ;  while  the  tendency 
of  the  contrary  doctrine  is  precisely  the  opposite 
in  both  the  respects  above  named  ?  Say  the  opposers 
of  this  doctrine,  If  it  is  untrue,  its  tendency  must 
be  bad.     The  same  might,  with  equal  propriety  be 
said  of  the  Bible,  and  of  every  doctrine  of  the 
Bible.     When   we  speak  of  the  tendency  of  a 
doctrine,  we  then  look  away  from  the  question 


THE    DIVINE    TEACHER. 

whether  it  is  true  or  false,  to  what  is  intrinsic  in 
the  doctrine  itself.  When  we  try  the  doctrine 
under  consideration  by  this  principle,  we  find  it  to 
have  all  the  evidence  in  its  favor,  that  any  divine 
truth  can  have. 

No,  reader ;  in  embracing  this  doctrine,  we  have 
not  "  followed  cunningly  devised  fables."  We 
have  followed  the  plainest  teachings  of  the  Spirit 
and  word  of  God.  In  taking  our  stand  upon  this 
doctrine,  we  are  standing  upon  the  "  foundation  of 
the  apostles  and  prophets,  Jesus  Christ  himself 
being  the  chief  corner  stone."  In  looking  with 
humble  faith  to  "  the  very  God  of  peace,"  that  he 
may  "  sanctify  us  wholly,  and  preserve  our  whole 
spirit,  and  soul,  and  body,  blameless  unto  the  com- 
ing of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  we  only  look  to 
him  for  a  fulfilment  of  one  of  his  own  "  exceeding 
great  and  precious  promises." 

Reader,  "  believest  thou  this  ?  "  And  will  you 
now  come  to  Christ,  to  have  this  promise  in  all  its 
fulness  accomplished  in  your  own  blessed  expe- 
rience ?  "  Now  the  just  shall  live  by  faith  ;  but  if 
any  man  draw  back,  my  soul  shall  have  no  pleas- 
ure in  him."  "  Wherefore,  seeing  we  are  com- 
passed about  with  so  great  a  cloud  of  witnesses, 
let  us  lay  aside  every  weight,  and  the  sin  that  doth 
so  easily  beset  us,  and  let  us  run  with  patience,  the 


224  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

race  that  is  set  before  us,  looking  unto  Jesus,  the 
author  and  finisher  of  our  faith  ;  who,  for  the  joy 
that  was  set  before  him,  endured  the  cross,  de- 
spising the  shame,  and  is  set  down  at  the  right 
hand  of  the  throne  of  God." 


CONCLUSION. 

In  drawing  my  remarks  to  a  close,  I  wrill,  in 
conformity  with  the  desires  of  my  own  mind,  and 
the  suggestions  of  some  brethren ,  in  whose  judg- 
ment I  place  much  confidence,  give  the  reader  a 
short  account  of  the  manner  in  which  I  was  led,  by 
the  Spirit  of  God,  as  I  believe,  to  adopt  the  senti- 
ments maintained  in  these  discourses.  In  regard 
to  my  early  experience  as  a  Christian,  I  would 
say,  that  that  experience  had  two  prominent  char- 
acteristics, a  desire,  inexpressibly  strong,  to  be  freed 
from  all  sin  in  every  form,  and  to  be  entirely  con- 
secrated to  the  love  and  service  of  God,  in  all  the 
powers  and  susceptibilities  of  my  being.  Nor  can 
any  one  conceive  the  gloom  and  horror  that  cov- 
ered my  mind,  when  older  Christians  assured  me, 
and  as  I  supposed  with  truth,  that  that  was  a  state 
to  which  I  should  never,  in  this  life,  attain  ;  that 
my  lusts  would  not  be  perfectly  subdued  or  sub- 
jected to  the  will  of  Christ,  and  that  one  of  the 
brightest  evidences  of  my  con  version  and  growth  in 


THE    DIVINE    TEACHER.  225 

grace,,  was  new  discoveries  of  the  deep  and  fixed 
corruptions  of  rny  heart — corruptions  from  which  I 
was  never  to  be  cleansed  till  death  should  deliver 
me  from  my  bondage.  Notwithstanding  all  the 
impediments  thrown  in  the  way  of  my  progress  in 
holiness,  I  continued  to  press  forward  for  a  succes- 
sion of  years,  till  I  could  say,  in  the  language  of 
another,  "  I  do  know  that  I  love  holiness  for  holi- 
ness' sake." 

In  this  state,  1  commenced  my  studies  as  a 
student  in  college.  Here  I  fell,  and  fell,  by  not 
aiming  singly  at  the  "  prize  of  the  high  calling," 
but  at  the  prize  of  college  honors,  t  subsequently 
entered  a  theological  seminary,  with  the  hope  of 
there  rinding  myself  in  such  an  atmosphere,  that 
my  first  love  would  be  revived.  In  this  expect- 
ation, I  grieve  to  say,  I  was  most  sadly  disap- 
pointed. I  found  the  piety  of  my  brethren  appar- 
ently as  low  as  my  own.  I  here  say  it  with  sorrow 
of  heart,  that  my  mind  does  not  recur  to  a  single 
individual  connected  with  the  "  school  of  the  pro- 
phets," when  I  was  there,  who  appeared  to  me  to 
enjoy  daily  communion  and  peace  with  God. 

After  completing  my  course  under  such  circum- 
stances, I  entered  the  ministry,  proud  of  rny  intel- 
lectual attainments,  and  armed,  as  I  supposed, 
at  every  point,  with  the  weapons  of  theological 
warfare,  but  with  the  soul  of  piety  chilled  and 


226  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

expiring  within  me.  Blessed  be  God,  the  remem- 
brance of  what  I  had  been  remained,  and  constantly 
aroused  me  to  a  consciousness  of  what  I  was.  I 
looked  into  myself,  and  over  the  Church,  and  was 
shocked  at  what  I  felt  and  what  I  saw.  Two 
facts  in  the  aspect  of  the  Church  and  the  ministry, 
struck  my  mind  with  gloomy  interest.  Scarcely 
an  individual,  within  the  circle  of  my  knowledge, 
seemed  to  know  the  gospel  as  a  sanctifying  or 
peace-giving  gospel.  In  illustration  of  this  re- 
mark, let  me  state  a  fact  which  I  met  with  in  the 
year  1831  or  1832.  I  then  met  a  company  of  my 
ministerial  brethren,  who  had  come  together  from 
one  of  the  most  favored  portions  of  the  country. 
They  sat  down  together,  and  gave  to  each  other 
an  undisguised  disclosure  of  the  state  of  their 
hearts,  and  they  all,  with  one  exception,  and  the 
experience  of  that  individual  I  did  not  hear,  ac- 
knowledged that  they  had  not  daily  communion 
and  peace  with  God.  Over  these  facts  they 
wept,  but  neither  knew  how  to  direct  the  others 
out  of  the  thick  and  impenetrable  gloom  which 
covered  them,  and  I  was  in  the  same  ignorance 
as  my  brethren. 

I  state  these  facts  as  a  fair  example  of  the  state 
of  the  churches,  and  of  the  ministry,  as  far  as  my 
observation  has  extended,  and  that  has  been  very 
extensive.  I  here  affirm,  that  the  great  mass  of 


THE    DIVINE    TEACHER.  227 

Christians  do  not  know  the  gospel,  in  their  daily 
experience,  as  a  life-giving  and  peace-giving  gospel. 
When  my  mind  became  fully  conscious  of  this 
fact,  I  was  led  to  compare  my  own,^and  the  expe- 
rience of  the  Church  around  me,  with  that  of  the 
apostles  and  primitive  Christians,  and  with  the 
"  path  of  the  just,"  as  portrayed  in  the  sacred 
Scriptures.  I  found  the  two  in  direct  contrast 
with  each  other.  Here  the  great  inquiry  arose  in 
my  mind,  What  is  the  grand  secret  of  holy  living? 
How  shall  I  attain  to  that  perpetual  fulness  and 
peace  in  Christ,  which,  for  example,  Paul  enjoyed. 
Till  this  secret  was  fully  disclosed  to  my  mind,  I 
felt  that  I  was,  and  must  be  disqualified,  in  one 
fundamental  respect,  to  "  feed  the  flock  of  God." 
While  the  gospel  was  not  life  and  peace  to  me, 
how  could  1  present  it  in  such  a  manner  that  it 
would  be  life  and  peace  to  others.  I  must  myself 
be  led  by  the  Great  Shepherd,  into  the  "  green 
pastures,  and  beside  the  still  waters,"  before  I 
could  lead  the  flock  of  God  into  the  same  blissful 
regions.  For  years,  this  one  inquiry  pressed  upon 
my  thoughts,  and  often,  as  I  have  looked  over  a 
company  of  inquiring  sinners,  have  I  said  within 
myself,  I  would  gladly  take  my  place  among  those 
inquirers,  if  any  individual  would  show  me  how  to 
come  into  possession  of  the  "riches  of  the  glory  of 
Christ's  inheritance  in  the  saints."  But  clouds 


228  CHRISTIAN   PERFECTION. 

and  darkness  covered  my  mind  in  respect  to  this, 
the  most  momentous  of  all  subjects. 

In  this  state  of  mind,  I  became  connected  with 
the  Institution  at  Oberlin,  and  continued  to  press 
my  inquiries  with  increasing  interest  upon  this  one 
subject,  till  the  fall  of  1836.  At  that  time,  during 
a  series  of  religious  meetings  held  in  the  Institution, 
a  large  number  of  the  members  of  the  Church 
arose  and  informed  us  that  they  were  fully  con- 
vinced that  they  had  been  deceived  in  respect  to 
their  character  as  Christians,  and  that  they  were 
now  without  hope,  and  appeared  as  inquirers,  to 
know  "  what  they  should  do  to  be  saved."  At 
the  same  time,  the  great  mass  of  the  remainder 
disclosed  to  us  the  cheerless  bondage  in  which 
they  had  long  been  groaning,  and  asked  us  if  we 
could  tell  them  how  to  obtain  deliverance.  I 
now  felt  myself,  as  one  of  the  "leaders  of  the 
flock  of  God,"  pressed  with  the  great  inquiry 
above  referred  to,  with  greater  interest  than  ever 
before.  I  set  rny  heart,  by  prayer  and  supplication 
to  God,  to  find  the  light  after  which  I  had  been  so 
long  seeking. 

In  this  state  I  visited  one  of  rny  associates  in  the 
Institution,  and  disclosed  to  him  the  burden  which 
had  weighed  down  my  mind  for  so  many  years.  I 
asked  him,  if  he  could  tell  me  the  secret  of  the  pi- 
ety of  Paul,  and  tell  me  the  reason  of  the  strange 


THE    DIVINE    TEACHER.  229 

contrast  between  the  apostle's  experience  and  my 
own.  In  laboring  for  the  salvation  of  men,  1  ob- 
served, that  my  feelings  often  remained  unmoved 
and  unaffected,  while  Paul  was  constantly  "  con- 
strained" by  the  love  of  Christ.  Our  conver- 
sation then  turned  upon  the  passage,  "  The  love 
of  Christ  constraineth  us,"  &c.  While  thus  em- 
ployed, my  heart  leaped  up  in  ecstacy  inde- 
scribable, with  the  exclamation,  "I  have  found  it." 
I  have  now,  by  the  grace  of  God,  discovered  the 
secret  after  which  I  have  been  searching  these 
many  years.  I  understood  the  secret  of  the  piety 
of  Paul,  and  knew  how  to  attain  to  that  blissful  state 
myself.  Paul's  piety  all  arose  from  one  source 
exclusively,  a  sympathy  with  the  heart  of  Christ 
in  his  love  for  lost  man.  To  attain  to  that  state 
myself,  I  had  only  to  acquaint  myself  with  the 
love  of  Christ,  and  yield  my  whole  being  up  to  its 
sweet  control. 

Immediately  after  this,  I  came  before  the 
church  and  disclosed  to  them  what  1  then  saw  to 
be  the  grand  defect  in  my  ministry.  1.  Christ 
had  been  but  as  one  chapter  in  my  system  of 
theology,  when  he  should  have  been  the  sun  and 
centre  of  the  system.  2.  When  I  thought  of  my 
guilt  and  need  of  justi6cation,  I  had  looked  to 
Christ  exclusively,  as  I  ought  to  have  done. 
For  sanctification,  on  the  other  hand,  to  overcome 


230  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

the  "world,  the  flesh,  and  the  devil,"  I  had  de- 
pended mainly  upon  my  own  resolutions.  Here 
was  the  grand  mistake,  and  the  source  of  all  my 
bondage  under  sin.  I  ought  to  have  looked  to 
Christ  for  sanctification  as  much  as  for  justification, 
and  for  the  same  reason.  The  great  object  of  my 
being  now  was,  to  know  Christ,  and  in  knowing 
him  to  be  changed  into  his  image.  Here  was  the 
"  victory  which  overcometh  the  world."  Here 
was  the  "death  of  the  body  of  sin."  Here  was 
"  redemption  from  all  iniquity,"  into  the  "  glorious 
liberty  of  the  children  of  God."  At  this  time,  the 
appropriate  office  of  the  Holy  Spirit  presented 
itself  to  my  mind  with  a  distinctness  arid  interest 
never  understood  nor  felt  before.  To  know 
Christ  was  the  life  of  the  soul.  To  "take  of  the 
things  of  Christ  and  show  them  unto  us,"  to 
open  our  hearts  to  understand  the  Scriptures,  to 
strengthen  us  with  might  in  the  inner  man,  that 
we  might  comprehend  the  "  breadth  and  depth, 
and  length  and  height,  and  know  the  love  of 
Christ  which  passeth  knowledge,"  and  thus  be 
"filled  with  all  the  fulness  of  God,"  is  the  ap- 
propriate office  of  the  Spirit.  The  highway  of  ho- 
liness was  now  for  the  first  time  rendered  perfectly 
distinct  to  my  mind.  The  discovery  of  it  was  to  my 
mind  as  "  life  from  the  dead."  The  disclosure  of 
this  path  had  the  same  effect  upon  others,  who 


THE    DIVINE    TEACHER.  231 

had  been,  like  myself,  "  weary,  tost  with  tempest 
and  not  comforted."  As  my  supreme  attention 
was  thus  fixed  upon  Christ,  as  it  became  the  great 
object  of  my  being  to  know  him,  and  be  trans- 
formed into  his  likeness,  and  as  I  was  perpetually 
seeking  that  divine  illumination  by  which  I  might 
apprehend  him,  an  era  occurred  in  my  experience, 
which  I  have  no  doubt  will  ever  be  One  of  the 
most  memorable  in  my  entire  past  existence.  In 
a  moment  of  deep  and  solemn  thought,  the  veil 
seemed  to  be  lifted,  and  I  had  a  vision  of  the  in- 
finite glory  and  love  of  Christ,  as  manifested  in  the 
mysteries  of  redemption.  I  will  not  attempt  to 
describe  the  effect  of  that  vision  upon  my  rnind. 
All  that  I  would  say  is,  that  in  view  of  it,  my 
heart  melted  and  flowed  out  like  water.  The 
heart  of  stone  was  taken  away,  and  a  heart  of  love 
and  tenderness  assumed  its  place.  From  that 
time  I  have  desired  to  "  know  nothing  but  Jesus 
Christ  and  him  crucified."  I  have  literally  "  es- 
teemed all  things  but  loss  for  the  excellency  of 
the  knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus  my  Lord,"  and  the 
knowledge  of  Christ  has  been  eternal  life  begun 
in  my  heart. 

Now  when  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  was  thus 
held  up  among  us  by  myself  and  others,  a  brother 
in  the  ministry  arose  in  one  of  our  meetings 
and  remarked,  that  there  was  one  question  to 
which  he  desired  that  a  definite  answer  might  be 


232  CHRISTIAN   PERFECTION. 

given.  It  is  this,  "When  we  look  to  Christ  for 
sanctification,  what  degree  of  sanctification  may 
we  expect  from  him  ?  May  we  look  to  him  to 
be  sanctified  wholly,  or  not?"  I  do  not  recollect 
that  I  was  ever  so  shocked  and  confounded  at  any 
question  before  or  since.  I  felt,  for  the  moment, 
that  the  work  of  Christ  among  us  would  be 
marred,  and  the  mass  of  minds  around  us  rush  into 
Perfectionism.  Still  the  question  was  before  us  ; 
and  to  it  we  were  bound,  as  pupils  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  to  give  a  Scriptural  answer.  We  did  not 
attempt  to  give  a  definite  answer  to  it  during  that 
time.  With  that  question  before  us,  brother 
Finney  and  myself  came  to  New  York,  and  spent 
most  of  the  winter  together,  in  prayer  and  the 
study  of  the  Bible.  The  great  inquiry  with  us 
was,  what  degree  of  holiness  may  we  ourselves 
expect  from  Christ,  when  we  exercise  faith  in 
him,  and  in  what  light  shall  we  present  him  to 
others,  as  a  Saviour  from  sin.  We  looked,  for  ex- 
ample, at  such  passages  as  this,  passages  of  which 
the  Bible  is  full,  "And  the  very  God  of  peace 
sanctify  you  wholly,  and  I  pray  God,  your  whole 
spirit,  and  soul  and  body  be  preserved  blameless 
unto  the  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Faith- 
ful is  he  that  calleth  you,  who  also  will  do  it." 
We  looked  at  such  passages,  I  say,  and  asked  our- 
selves this  question,  Suppose  an  honest  inquirer 


THE    DIVINE    TEACHER.  233 

after  holiness,  comes  to  us,  and  asks  of  us,  What 
degree  of  holiness  is  here  promised  to  the  believer? 
May  I  expect,  in  view  of  this  prayer  and  prom- 
ise, that  God  will  sanctify  me  wholly,  and  preserve 
me  in  that  state,  till  the  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  ?  What  answer  shall  we  give  him  ?  Shall 
we  tell  him  that  merely  partial  and  not  perfect 
holiness  is  here  promised,  and  that  the  former  and 
not  the  latter  he  is  here  authorized  to  expect  ?  After 
looking  prayerfully  at  the  testimony  of  Scripture  in 
respect  to  the  provisions  and  promises  of  divine 
grace,  we  were  constrained  to  admit,  that  but  one 
answer  to  the  above  question  could  be  given  from 
the  Bible ;  and  the  greatest  wonder  with  me  is, 
that  I  have  been  so  long  a  "  master  of  Israel,  and 
have  never  before  known  these  things."  Since 
that  time  we  have  never  ceased  to  proclaim  the 
redemption  of  Christ  as  a  full  redemption.  Nor 
do  we  expect  to  cease  proclaiming  it  as  a  full  and 
finished  redemption,  till  Christ  shall  call  us  home. 
For  myself,  I  am  willing  to  proclaim  it  to  the 
world,  that  I  now  look  to  the  very  God  of  peace 
to  sanctify  me  wholly,  and  preserve  rny  whole 
spirit,  and  soul,  and  body,  blameless  unto  the  coin- 
ing of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  I  put  up  this  prayer 
with  the  expectation  that  the  very  things  prayed 
for  will  be  granted.  Reader,  is  that  confidence 
15 


234  CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION. 

misplaced  ?  In  expecting  that  blessing,  am  I 
leaning  upon  a  broken  reed,  or  upon  the  broad 
promise  of  God  ? 

There  is  one  circumstance  connected  with  my 
recent  experience,  to  which  I  desire  to  turn  the 
special  attention  of  the  reader.  I  would  here  say, 
that  I  have  for  ever  given  up  all  idea  of  resisting 
temptation,  subduing  any  lust,  appetite  or  propen- 
sity, or  of  acceptably  performing  any  service  for 
Christ,  by  the  mere  force  of  my  own  resolutions. 
If  my  propensities,  which  lead  to  sin,  are  crucified, 
I  know  that  it  must  be  done  by  an  indwelling 
Christ.  If  I  overcome  the  world,  this  is  to  be  the 
victory,  "  even  our  faith."  If  the  great  enemy 
is  to  be  overcome,  it  is  to  be  done  "  by  the  blood 
of  the  Lamb." 

Believing,  as  I  now  do,  that  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  has  provided  special  grace  for 
the  entire  sanctification  of  every  individual,  for 
the  subjection  of  all  his  propensities,  for  a  perfect 
victory  over  every  temptation  and  incentive  to  sin, 
and  for  rendering  us,  in  every  sphere  and  condition 
in  life,  all  that  he  requires  us  to  be  ;  the  first  in- 
quiry with  me  is,  In  what  particular  respects  do  1 
need  the  grace  of  Christ  ?  What  is  there,  for 
example,  in  my  temper  that  needs  correcting? 
Wherein  am  I  in  bondage  to  appetite,  or  to  any  of 


THE    DIVINE    TEACHER.  235 

my  propensities?  What  are  the  particular  res- 
ponsibilities, temptations,  &c.,  incident  to  each 
particular  sphere  and  condition  in  life  in  which  the 
providence  of  God  has  called  me  to  act  ?  What  is 
the  temper  that  I  ought,  then,  to  manifest,  so  that 
I  may  every  where,  and  under  all  circumstances 
reflect  the  image  of  Christ? 

Thus  having  discovered  my  special  neces- 
sity, in  any  one  of  the  particulars  above  re-* 
ferred  to,  my  next  object  is,  to  take  some 
promise  applicable  to  the  particular  exigency 
before  me,  and  go  directly  to  Christ  for  the 
supply  of  that  particular  necessity.  By  having 
the  eye  of  faith  perpetually  fixed  upon  Christ 
in  this  manner,  by  always  looking  to  him  for 
special  grace  in  every  special  exigency,  yes,  for 
"  grace  to  help  in  every  time  of  need,"  how  easy 
it  is  to  realize  in  our  own  blessed  experience  the 
truth  of  all  the  "  exceeding  great  and  precious 
promises"  of  divine  grace.  How  easy  it  is  to  have 
the  peace  of  God,  which  passeth  all  understanding, 
"  keep  our  hearts  and  minds  through  Christ  Jesus. " 
"  Our  peace  is  then  as  a  river,  and  our  righteous- 
ness as  the  waves  of  the  sea."  The  mind  seems 
to  be  borne  upward  and  onward,  as  upon  an  ocean 
of  light,  peace,  and  blessedness,  which  knows  no 
bounds. 


836  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION. 

"  O  glorious  change  !  'tis  all  of  grace, 

By  bleeding  love  bestowed 
On  outcasts  of  our  fallen  race, 

To  bring  them  home  to  God  ; 
Infinite  grace  to  vileness  given, 
The  sons  of  earth  made  heirs  of  heaven." 

And  now,  reader,  "  my  heart's  desire  and 
prayer  to  God  "  for  you,  is,  that  you  may  know 
this  full  redemption.  If  you  will  cease  from  all 
efforts  of  your  own,  and  bring  your  sins,  and  sor- 
rows, and  cares,  and  propensities  which  lead  into 
sin,  to  Christ,  and  cast  them  all  upon  him,  if  with 
implicit  faith,  you  will  hang  your  whole  being  upon 
him,  and  make  it  the  great  object  of  life  to  know 
him,  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  and  reflecting  his 
image,  you  will  find  that  all  the  "  exceeding  great 
and  precious  promises  "  of  his  word,  are,  in  your 
own  blissful  experience,  a  living  reality.  The 
waters  that  Christ  shall  give  you,  "  shall  be  in 
you  a  well  of  water  springing  up  into  everlasting 
life."  You  shall  have  a  perpetual  and  joyful 
victory  over  the  "  world,  the  flesh,  and  the  devil." 
Every  where,  and  under  all  circumstances,  your 
peace  in  Christ  shall  be  as  a  "river,  and  your  right- 
eousness as  the  waves  of  the  sea."  "  O  taste  and 
see  that  the  Lord  is  good."  "  There  is  no  want  to 
them  that  fear  him."  And,  reader,  when  your 
cup  is  once  filled  with  the  love  of  Christ,  you  will 


THE    DIVINE    TEACHER. 


237 


then  say  with  truth,  "  The  half  has  not  been  told 
me."  "  Eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  nor 
have  entered  into  the  heart  of  man,  the  things 
which  God  hath  prepared  for  them  that  love 

"'-" 

it      " 


THE    END. 


PUBLICATIONS 

Olf 

CHRISTIAN    PERFECTION, 

FOR  SALE  BY  DEXTER  S.  KING, 

32  WASHINGTON  STREET. 


A  PLAIN  ACCOUNT  OF  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION, 

as  taught  by  Rev.  John  Wesley,  from  the  year  17&5  to  the 
year  1777. 

A  TREATISE  ON  CHRISTIAN  PERFECTION;  By 
Rev.  John  Fletcher. 

THE  CHRISTIAN'S  MANUAL;  a  Treatise  on  Christian 
Perfection,  with  directions  for  obtaining  that  state. 

ACCOUNT  OF  THE  EXPERIENCE  OF  MRS.  HES- 
TER ANN  ROGERS. 

THE  GREAT  EFFICACY  OF  SIMPLE  FAITH  IN 
THE  ATONEMENT  OF  CHRIST,  exemplified  in  a 
Memoir  of  Mr.  VVm.  Carvosso. 

MISS  LITTLEFIELD'S  LETTER— a  Tract. 

These,  with  the  NEW  TRIBUTE  to  J.  B.  TAYLOR,  the 
MEMOIRS  of  WESLEY,  FLETCHER,  MRS.  FLETCHER,  and 
others,  exhibit  the  beauty  of  holiness  in  a  doctrinal,  experi- 
mental, and  practical  view,  as  taught  in  the  Holy  Bible,  and 
exemplified  in  the  experience  of  eminent  Christians. 


14  DAY  USE 

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